


If I Lose Myself Tonight

by orphan_account



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Acting, Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Celebrities, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, Jealousy, M/M, Phone Sex, Slow Burn, Songfic, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-02-08 16:15:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 36
Words: 77,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12868272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: It has been five years since Mickey left Chicago and made his way to Los Angeles to start a new life. His world immediately flips upside down as he gets discovered by a talent scout for acting and quickly makes his way up the chain becoming an A-list celebrity. Meanwhile, Ian can't help but think he made the biggest mistake of his life leaving Mickey five years ago. When Ian decides to try and win Mickey's love back, will Mickey give him the time of day or is he too consumed in his new celebrity lifestyle?





	1. Almost Famous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Almost Famous by Eminem

Ian leaned against the window sill in his bedroom, watching some sort of typical street fight breaking out infront of his house. He could hear the yelling and profanities but wasn't able to really hear what they were actually saying. He smirked as he watched some wannabe thug acting tougher than he probably was. It reminded him of...

"Yo. Wanna rip this shit?" Lip interrupted Ian's thoughts thankfully as he walked into the red head's room holding a bong.

"What do you think? Don't have work until five tonight." Ian answered as he glanced out the window one last time before walking over to his brother.

"You know that's an hour from now, right?" Lip asked as he grabbed his lighter and took a hit from the bong, instantly coughing up a lung.

"It's Patsy's Pies, Lip. I always show up stoned." Ian said bluntly as he grabbed the bong and also took a hit, though, not coughing as he smoked every day of his life ever since _he_ left.

"Really making moves with your life, I see." LIP teased hinting sarcasm and Ian flipped him off, taking another hit. 

"Don't wanna over-exert myself and show up to work sober." Ian retorted, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke and passing the bong to his older brother. 

"Not good for your meds, man." Lip said pointedly. 

"You're the one who asked me to smoke. Christ, you sound like.." Ian stopped his sentence, grabbing the bong back from Lip and taking another hit to help him forget as Lip sighed softly, wishing his brother would just move on. 

Ian noticed Lip giving him a look of disapproval, causing the red head to sigh. 

"I already know what you're gonna say. The answer is no, I haven't forgotten about him and I don't plan on it. It's been 1,824 days since he left. Tomorrow marks five years, day 1,825."

"Christ, Rain Man. You really should try to forget about him, Ian. I'm sure he hasn't even thought about you since becoming a douchebag A-list celebrity. Who would have thought Mickey Milkovich would ever become famous?" Lip laughed sarcastically as he grabbed the bong and took another hit.

Ian moved back to the window and put his hand on the glass as he watched the thug outside who reminded him of his ex. 

"Yeah, who would have thought."

************************

Ian was the one who ended things between him and Mickey five years ago after having a major mental breakdown. Once Ian got his life back on track and finally found balance with his medication, he realized he made the biggest mistake of his life. Mickey was the only person who kept Ian grounded even when he was off his rocker. Mickey was the one who would make sure Ian was keeping up with his meds and took care of him when no one else did. He protected Ian and did his best to make the red head happy, always putting Ian first. He was Ian's first _real_ love, as he was Mickey's. And Ian blew it.

When Ian ended things between them, not in his right mind, Mickey couldn't stand to be in Chicago anymore as everything reminded him of the red head. He felt like his heart had been ripped from his chest and he needed to run away, never _ever_ looking back. He got into someone's car, stolen of course, and took off. He didn't plan on it, but he ended up in Los Angeles and instantly fell in love with the city there.

He picked up a job as a bar tender merely a week later from moving to LA, everyone naturally drawn to his trash talking, South Side of Chicago attitude. One night, a decent looking middle-aged man sat at the bar and requested Mickey by name, hearing the stories about how much of an asshole he was to his customers but the customers would eat that shit up and loved to be served by him. Mickey walked over to the man and raised an eyebrow. 

"You gonna stare at me all night or are you gonna order a fuckin' drink?" 

The man chuckled. "Corona, please."

"Yuck. Enjoy your piss water." Mickey grimaced as he grabbed the beer bottle and nearly tossed it to the man.

"You ever think about acting? Or are you just naturally this vulgar?" The man teased, taking a swig from his beer and staring at Mickey's FUCK U UP tattoo on his knuckles. 

"Acting? Like movies and shit?" Mickey asked as he wiped the bar top down. 

"Precisely."

"That's a weird way to hit on a guy, don't ya think?" Mickey scoffed at the man.

"Married. And to a woman, fuck you very much." The man said, holding up his left hand to show off his wedding ring as Mickey snickered, continuing to wipe down the bar. "I'm serious. There's something about you. I have no idea what it is because I meant it when I said that you're straight up vulgar. But there's just something about you, kid. Take my card and call me if you're interested in what I have to offer."

Mickey furrowed his brow at the man, realizing he was absolutely serious as he slid Mickey his business card along with a one hundred dollar bill for a tip. The man sucked back the 'piss water' and walked out of the bar without another word. Mickey stared at the card, contemplating calling him. He decided to call him the next morning and from there on out, he entered the acting business. His first movie that he starred in racked up thirty three million dollars upon opening weekend, earning him quite the paycheck. His next movie was no different, breaking box office records. Before he knew it, his face was everywhere and he made his way to the top in the acting business. He couldn't even walk down the street anymore without fans and paparazzi swarming him.

At first, he loved it. It took his mind off of the bullshit back in Chicago and he basically drowned in money, having more cash than he knew what to do with. He went from living in a slum to owning everything he could ever imagine in under a year and thanked his lucky stars for being in the right place at the right time. Everywhere he went, he saw his name or face plastered on posters, billboards or other adds. And to his fans, he was a heartthrob. All of the girls swooned over his edgy style and attractiveness. The girls were more than dissatisfied when Mickey 'dated' his first male celebrity as a publicity stunt to promote a movie he was in, not meaning anything behind closed doors and only lasting 3 months. But it never stopped the girls from trying to throw themselves at Mickey which he hated.

Mickey eventually flew Mandy out of Chicago to come live with him out in LA, but he hadn't heard from his brothers since he left. Sometimes, he missed the shitty South Side. Most times, his bad memories chased the thoughts of regret away and reminded him that he had everything he could ever want here. Except for one thing: A certain fucking red head. He hoped that Ian saw how well he was doing and hoped that the red head would rue the day he ever broke his heart. He vowed that he'd never fall in love again, strictly fulfilling his needs with one night stands only.

Mickey sat on a couch by himself at a release party for yet another one of his upcoming movies as he watched his co stars go wild on drugs and alcohol. He looked down at his phone to check the time, only 11 o'clock and wanting to go home. A tall brunette woman wearing a tight black dress showing off her hour glass figure sat beside Mickey. He instantly sighed, knowing exactly what she wanted and wished she would just fuck off.

"I'm drunk and you're sexy. Wanna get out of here?" She asked, leaning closer to Mickey and twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. 

Mickey stood up and shook his head in aggravation as he moved to the bar, deciding to catch up to his co stars. He ordered a Jack and Coke, holding the Coke. He downed the straight-up Jack and relished in the burning sensation he felt in his throat. He glanced around the room and saw a red headed man, hair clearly colored and unnatural looking. It would do for now. Mickey sniffed and approached the man, tapping him on the back. The red head turned around, more attractive than Mickey realized. The brunette nodded his head to the bathroom and the red head raised an eyebrow, complying to Mickey's inference as he walked away to the men's room.

Mickey watched the man disappear into the bathroom as he ordered another Jack and downed it before following his meaningless fuck into the bathroom. The red head locked the door once Mickey entered, instantly dropping to his knees to eagerly suck Mickey down. The brunette tried his best to get into it, but thoughts of another red head flooded his memories making it difficult for Mickey to get his dick hard.

"Everything alright, baby?" The eager red head asked looking up at Mickey.

"Yeah, sorry. Give me a minute." Mickey muttered bluntly, trying to imagine it was Ian who was on his knees and not this random stranger. 

Mickey felt his dick start to get hard when he focused on a memory he had with Ian pounding into him, thinking back on how the red head could turn him out like no one ever could. He imagined those emerald green eyes staring up at him and not whatever color this stranger's eyes were. He felt himself ready to climax, grabbing the stranger's head and fucking his face to relieve himself. Once he finished, he pushed the stranger off of him and immediately buttoned his jeans before leaving the bathroom.

He never hung around after having a sexual encounter, completely detaching himself from any sort of emotional bond. He preferred it that way ever since Ian fucked his emotions up royally. Just for a quick second, he wondered how the red head was doing. He instantly brushed the thought away as he walked over to the bar and grabbed another drink, downing it quickly to help him forget.


	2. Habits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Habits by Tove Lo

Ian instantly regretted getting stoned before work as Patsy's was busier than usual. The diner was generally steady on most days, but tonight it was bustling. Fiona noticed that her younger brother was having difficulties keeping up with the pace, causing her to pull him aside into her office for a moment. 

"Hey, what's going on out there? I've got three tables needing to get bussed and you're moving like a snail." She scolded and Ian slowly glanced up at her, still very stoned. "Ian, are you high?"

"No."

Fiona exhaled and gave her brother a worried look before gently putting a hand on his shoulder. Ian winced away from her hand, not liking to be touched anymore after _he_ left. She nodded understandingly as she saw her brother retract into himself and move his gaze to the floor. 

"Why don't you just go home. I'll call V to come in and cover for you. I'm sure she needs the money anyway." Fiona said with a concerned smile and Ian nodded, taking off his apron.

Ian immeditaly left the office and pushed through the crowd of customers who were waiting to be seated. Once outside, he pulled out a cigarette and looked down at his phone. He started to text a guy he would regularly use when he needed relief. They both had a mutual understanding that they would strictly have sex with no strings attached and nothing more. He'd become emotionally detached over the years and was content with it, never looking for anything more than a quick hookup. Luckily, the other guy was the same way.

Ian (6:38PM): Busy?

He exhaled the smoke and tossed the cigarette away as he put his phone back in his pocket. He made his way to a nearby liquor store to purchase a small handle of whiskey, one of the key ingredients to help him numb the pain. As he was walking out of the store, his phone buzzed. 

Luke (6:45PM): Come over. 

Ian (6:46PM): Be there in twenty. Prep yourself.

Ian walked in the direction of the L, already opening the bottle and taking a swig. As he made it to the L station, he saw a giant poster that featured Mickey on it to promote his new movie. Ian stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the poster, feeling a mixture of regret and anger that the brunette never came back for him. He couldn't lie, Mickey looked great. He looked _happy._

Out of anger, Ian threw the fairly full bottle that he just purchased at the poster and walked on to the L. There were two teenage girls who were giggling beside him, looking down at their phones. He glanced up at them, wondering what they were so fucking chipper about.

"Look at this movie trailer that just came out. I really wanna see it! Mickey Milkovich is in it and he's so fucking hot." One of the girls said to her friend. 

"I know! I wish he wasn't gay. I'd literally take it in the ass from him any day." The other girl said to her friend as they both continued to giggle.

Ian rubbed his temples in frustration, hating that everywhere he went he was constantly reminded of the one who got away.

"Do you think he's actually gay or do you think he's bisexual?" The girl asked her friend. 

"I'm not sure. I thought I read in some tabloid that he's bisexual but still, my ass would totally be his if he ever asked."

"What if he bottoms? How do you know he tops?" Ian spoke up as he looked the other way pretending to be nonchalant, though, burning up inside with anger.

"He obviously tops, dude. He doesn't look like the bottom type." The girl said with a bratty teenage attitude. 

"You'd be surprised." He muttered under his breath as the other girls rolled their eyes and continued gawking at his ex-boyfriend on their phones. 

Ian's stop finally arrived and he nearly ran out of the L. He needed to go to Luke's, relieve himself, and get back home to smoke himself stupid and forget about this godawful day.

Once he made it to Luke's, he wasted no time. Ian pounded his fist on the door of the man's shitty apartment, impatiently waiting for him to answer. Once Luke opened the door, Ian barged into the apartment, Luke closing the door behind him ready for Ian to use him and vice versa. After Ian was finished with the man, he left the apartment without saying a word and went on about his business.

He decided he wanted to walk home to blow off some steam from built up aggression that even a quick fuck couldn't help fix. His phone began to ring and be picked it up, not caring to look at who was calling.

"Yo."

"Hey, wanna catch a movie later? Fi called and told me you didn't look so good before you left work early." Lip suggested.

"Can I get stoned before we go?"

"I guess so. Better not fall asleep on me. I'm not carrying your ginger ass out of there." Lip said half jokingly as Ian chuckled darkly. 

"Cool. Be home in a half hour or so." Ian said as he hung up the phone and continued walking.

The brisk September air felt great against his face but he missed the summer. All things were lively and beautiful in the summertime unlike the fall and winter where everything began to slowly die. With that thought, he pulled out another cigarette ironically.

As promised, Ian arrived to the Gallagher home within a half hour and stepped inside to see Debbie attempting to cook dinner. She nodded at Ian with a smile as she was putting some sort of chicken dinner disaster into the oven.

"Heard you and Lip are going to the movies. Think I could come? I really don't feel like sitting at home on a Friday night." Debbie asked.

"Sure, Debs. But we're not going to see some stupid chick flick. I wanna see a horror movie."

Debbie rolled her eyes. "Nevermind then. Dinner's in the oven and should be ready in an hour."

Ian chuckled to himself as he went upstairs to his room and shut the door. Liam and Carl weren't home yet, so Ian enjoyed the peace and quiet for as long as he could before it would soon be shattered by his obnoxious brothers returning home from wherever they were off to. He opened his drawer and pulled out a pre-rolled joint, taking it to his bed so he could relax while he smoked it.

The red head laid down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling, wondering how his life got to be so fucked. He was twenty two years old, not going to school, still living at home, and working part time at a diner. He sighed, wishing he could just get his shit together already. Instead, he inhaled the smoke and enjoyed the high it gave him.

"Yo, you decent?" Lip asked from behind the door and Ian sat up in his bed.

"Yup."

Lip opened the door and walked over to Ian before sitting down beside him on the bed. He reached for the joint and Ian handed it off to him.

"Guy I go to school with also came up to Chicago for the weekend." Lip said as he exhaled the smoke and handed Ian the joint.

Ian nodded, wishing that Lip would just let him enjoy his high in peace. 

"He uh.. Wants to come with us to the movies tonight. I'm bringing his best friend Megan and I thought-"

"No." Ian answered bluntly before inhaling the smoke. 

"I didn't even finish. I thought-"

"No." Ian repeated, exhaling the thick cloud into his brother's face.

"Christ. Don't need to be a dick about it. I'm just trying to help. You've been stuck on some South Side piece of trash for the last five years who, out of sheer luck, made it big in the film industry. You really wanna sit here and piss and moan about it for the rest of your life or can you finally move the fuck on? He's not coming back, Ian. Mickey's not coming back."

"I know." Ian said, staring off mindlessly. "I don't need you or Fiona or whoever else to meddle with my life. I don't want a boyfriend and I don't need Mickey. I'm fine."

Lip glanced over at his brother who was clearly not 'fine'. He wrapped his arm around his brother, Ian instantly shivering at the touch, and looked down to the ground. 

"Look, I know you're hurting. But you ended things with him. He wasn't going to wait around like a bitch forver." Lip said honestly.

"He didn't wait at all, Lip. He fucking left when I needed him the most and got famous or whatever. He's the one who left _me."_ Ian said defensively and Lip stood up, shaking his head in disagreement. 

"You left _him,_ Ian. Whether you wanna admit that or not is up to you. But you need to let go and move on. Life doesn't just stop going because you broke up with your boyfriend." Lip said bluntly as he left Ian's room and went to his own bedroom.

Ian stood up to slam his door shut. He went back to his bed and laid down to stare up at the ceiling, thinking about how his life did stop moving the day Mickey left the city and never looked back. He pulled out a nip of vodka that he kept in his nightstand and chugged, needing to numb himself more to stop thinking about the beautiful man with dark hair and blue eyes.


	3. Waves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Waves (Robin Schulz Radio Edit) by Mr. Probz

"You're really not gonna go?" Lip asked in frustration. 

"I'm not trying to go on some double date that you planned behind my back. I'm gonna just stay at home and eat Debbie's wonderful dinner Instead." Ian said sarcastically, knowing they would most likely have to order pizza since Debbie couldn't cook for shit.

"Whatever you say. Your fuckin' loss." Lip muttered before closing Ian's door and heading out to the movies. 

Ian sighed as he pulled out his phone and started scrolling through social media, instantly regretting it. The first post he saw was a shared YouTube video that read, _Watch: Oceans Between Us trailer. Starring: Mickey Milkovich, Jane Stewart, Josh Buffington._

Ian glanced over at his bedroom door to make sure it was closed before giving in and clicking on the video. He took a deep breath, feeling the anxiety building up as the loading wheel spun across the screen. The video eventually loaded and Ian's heart dropped when the screen was black and he heard Mickey doing a voice over. 

_'You ever meet someone and just think to yourself how lucky you are? How lucky to be someone's everything?'_

Dramatic pause.

_'Until suddenly that feeling gets wiped away.'_

Ian stared at the screen after the voice over ended and it cut to Mickey in a pretend hospital bed, eyes closed, fake bruises, scrapes and wearing a neck brace as well as being hooked up to fake machines. Ian rolled his eyes, remembering what the brunette _actually_ looked like with bruises and scrapes. There was a fake doctor that appeared on the screen standing next to some fake crying blonde woman who Ian could assume played Mickey's love interest in the movie. 

"Tell me he's gonna be okay?" The blonde fake sobbed to the doctor.

"He's in a coma, Mrs. Flax. Your husband was hit head on by a drunk driver and we're not sure if he's going to make it through the night." The fake doctor said to Mrs. Flax, Ian bursting out into laughter at the writer's stupid choice of last names.

"You save my husband! You.." The woman fake sobbed into her hands and knelt besides 'Mr. Flax'.

"Don't you leave me, Dave. Don't you dare." The woman said, Ian finally admitting to himself she was an _okay_ actress. 

The screen cut to another black screen, words in white reading, _Based on true events._ it suddenly cut to a Christmas party with subtitles reading _Four hours earlier..._ Mickey aka Dave, walked over to a Christmas tree and smiled at a 'baby's first Christmas' ornament that had a name on it with a birth and death date spanning only a year. How typical, Ian thought as he rolled his eyes and continued to watch. 

Dave took a dramatic deep breath and spun around to see his wife with tears in her eyes.

"It's been one year today since Bell's been gone." The woman said softly. 

"I know Tasha, I know. C'mere." 

Ian paused the video and replayed it, remembering the way the brunette would say c'mere to him. Ian couldn't watch anymore as he was suddenly drowning in past foggy memories. Before the memories got too overwhelming, he got up off his bed and headed down the stairs. 

Debbie was sitting at the kitchen table texting as Ian looked at the oven and saw smoke pouring out of the sides. He ran over to the oven, grabbing oven mits before opening the door and nearly coughing to death. He pulled out a very charred chicken, kicking the door closed and trying to fan away the smoke with the oven mit. Debbie frantically ran over to Ian and stared down at her disasterpiece. She sighed heavily as she looked at Ian who was also staring down at the chicken. 

"Pizza?" She asked and Ian let out a small laugh. 

"Pepperoni." He answered before he opened the garbage bin and dumped the chicken into the trash. "Did you forget to set a timer, Debs?"

"I may have." She admitted sheepishly as she turned around to sit at the table, looking up a pizza place menu on her phone. 

Ian shook his head in amusement as he went into the living room and turned on the TV. Of course, the screen displayed a commercial for that goddamn sad movie that Mickey was in, Ian immediately changing the channel and Debbie ran into the living room.

"Aw man! I wanted to see that! Mickey looks like he did a really good job...." She trailed off, ending her sentence early as Ian turned around to glare at her. "Right. Ordering the pizza now."

Ian raked his fingers through his hair as Debbie went back into the kitchen and started ordering the pizza over the phone. He moved his gaze back on to the screen which thankfully was not of Mickey or any of his stupid movies. It was some trash reality show on MTV and he wished that he too could get paid to party and act a fool on television. 

There was a Comerical break and just as expected, Mickey appeared on the screen. It was a Comerical for some douchebag Gucci cologne promotion and Ian sighed heavily looking down to the ground wondering why the world hated him so much tonight. He looked up at the screen suddenly not wanting to look away as it showed Mickey shirtless only in black boxer briefs, panning down his body as he stood under a shower, water falling down his body in slow motion. He looked more muscular than Ian remembered, abs cut perfectly. 

Ian glanced into the kitchen to see Debbie still on the phone before moving his gaze back on to the screen. The scene cut to him sitting next to a fire place, the visuals black and white except for the highlight of the man's blue eyes. Mickey looked into the camera seductively, licking his lips. The red head immediately felt himself getting an erection, wanting to look away but couldn't. 

The next scene was of Mickey at some beach, walking into the ocean wearing white shorts with an unbuttoned white cotton shirt showing off his new muscular body and new tattoos he had on his ribs and left arm. The brunette's hair was much longer on the top, perfectly in tact as the sea breeze gently blew through it. Ian practically drooled looking at him.

Mickey looked into the camera and whispered seductively, "Gucci Guilty."

"Pizza's gonna be here in thirty minutes!" Debbie exclaimed as she entered the living room startling Ian and causing him to immediately grab a pillow to cover his erection. 

She furrowed her brow as she looked at Ian sitting rigid on the couch with the pillow. She moved her gaze onto the screen and smirked knowingly. 

"I see you like his new commercial." Debbie teased. 

"Fuck off." Ian retorted, starting to cool down from watching the sexy commercial. 

"It's okay, everyone likes it. Even Fiona thought-"

"Debbie! Christ." Ian yelled out, not wanting to hear about his family getting hot for his ex.

Thankfully, the rreality show came back on and Debbie stopped talking as her eyes were immeditaly glued to the screen. She also wished she could get paid to party and act a fool on television. There was suddenly a heavy knock on the door and Debbie furrowed her brow.

"Didn't you just say thirty minutes for the pizza?" Ian asked in confusion. 

"Yeah. And Carl or Liam wouldn't knock." Debbie said with concern in her voice. 

Ian stood up and quickly grabbed the baseball bat. "Has Frank been around?"

"No. Haven't seen him in days. I don't think he'd knock either." Debbie said as she got up off the couch. 

"Stay there, Debs." Ian warned as the knocking on the door turned into pounding.

He tried to look through the window but it had been too dark outside to see anything and was also pouring rain. He slowly brought his hand to the door knob, door continuously being pounded on. Ian looked back at Debbie who was bracing herself as Ian moved his gaze back on the door.

"Wait!" Debbie whispered loudly as she ran into the kitchen to pull a taser out of her purse and stood next to Ian. 

He shook his head and braced himself, focusing on the door. Debbie turned on the taser, ready to use it. Ian took a deep breath and pulled the door open, swiftly bringing the bat up and Debbie pressing down on the taser, ready to use it. When Ian realized who was at the door his entire body froze in shock, Debbie having a similar reaction. Ian stared at the person before him, her body shaking and shivering in the rain, makeup dripping down her face. Her arms were wrapped around her small body, wearing a black long sleeved dress fitting like a glove that matched the color of her hair. She looked up at the red head slowly with remorse in her crystal blue eyes.

"Ian." She whispered. 

"Mandy." He replied under his breath.


	4. Holy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Holy by PVRIS

Mandy sat on the couch inside of the Gallagher home, wrapped in a blanket as both Ian and Debbie silently stared at her. Mandy glanced up at Ian, the red head immediately moving his gaze away. Debbie decided to break the silence first. 

"So what brings you back to the hood?" Debbie asked and Mandy chuckled. 

"Never forget where you came from." Mandy answered, holding her gaze on Ian.

"Can we talk?" She asked the red head and he slowly turned his head to look at her.

"We already are."

Mandy nodded understandingly. She knew that Ian didn't owe her anything especially after leaving him behind without ever speaking a word about it. As a result, he grew resentment towards her over the years which saddened him deep down as she used to be his best friend. Now she was a total stranger. 

"What do you want, Mandy?" Ian asked.

Debbie glanced over at Ian to make sure he was alright. Once he nodded, understanding her glance, she smiled softly and headed upstairs to her room. Mandy pulled the blankets around herself tighter to keep warm. She took a deep breath before looking up at Ian speaking. 

"I'm an asshole. I should have told you that I was leaving. I just... I don't know. Shit got complicated." Mandy answered, voice sounding small.

Ian let out a humorless laugh. "Shit got complicated as in your brother and I broke up?"

"Well yes, but also Lip and I-"

"So what do you want?" Ian interrupted as she stared at him silently as the red head continued. "To be honest, I don't care anymore. You can't change the past. What's done is done." Ian said bluntly as he went to go put away the baseball bat and sat on the loveseat beside the couch. 

"Ian, I'm so sorry. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness right now but I really need you."

Ian stared at her incredulously. "You need _me?_ You fucking leave me behind like I'm a piece of trash five years ago and then you just think you can come back here all of a sudden and tell me you need me? Mandy, I needed _you._ Where the fuck were you when I was out of my tree or when your brother and I broke up? Where were you all these years that shit got rough? Oh, that's right. You were too busy fucking kissing Tom Cruise's ass in Hollywood with your big shot brother. You didn't even care to call me. Not a text. Not even a goddamn letter. You're fucked in the head if you think I'm gonna just let you back into my life at the drop of a hat."

"I never asked for your forgiveness. I just need you." Mandy repeated, gaze on to the floor as her eyes were filled with guilt and regret.

"What do you need from me?"

"A place to stay. And a friend. Terry's been in jail ever since that night Mick came out at the Alibi-"

Ian held a hand up to her indicating he wanted her to stop talking. The memory hit him like a dagger to the heart. A lot of memories he had were foggy but that one... He'd never forget.

"You can crash here a few nights but that's it. Without talking about your brother, tell me why you're here."

"Well Terry's in jail, Ig's in some sort of rehab program, and I have no idea where my other brothers are. The house was taken by the bank and someone else ended up buying it a few years back. I'm sure you knew that, though."

"Haven't walked by your house in over five years, so no. I didn't know that." Ian muttered.

He took a deep breath, knowing he couldn't actually avoid the subject of Mickey. She adjusted in the couch, feeling a question about her brother coming. 

"Why'd you leave LA? Why'd you leave, you know..." Ian trailed off, not wanting to say _his_ name out loud. 

"I couldn't stay with him anymore. That life got to be too much."

Ian raised a questioning eyebrow. "How?"

"I dunno. I guess I just wasn't cut out for it."

"And he is?" Ian retorted and Mandy shrugged. 

"I have no idea how he handles everything out there. He used to be so irritable and, well, Mickey-ish. Now he's just different. I mean he's Mickey. But different. He's not..." Mandy trailed off, staring into Ian's eyes.

"He's not what?" Ian asked. 

"Happy. He's not happy. He hasn't been for a long time now."

Ian nodded, knowing the feeling of unhappiness very well by now. He looked Mandy over, realizing how thin and feeble she'd become. She was always tiny, but she looked sickly now. He assumed it had to do with her lifestyle choices on the west coast. Once she noticed the red head was taking in her appearance, she turned her gaze away feeling embarassed of the way she looked now. Ian sighed as he stood up and tried his best to put his anger aside.

"You're soaking wet. Need a shower? I can pull out some clothes for you like the old days when you'd sleep over." Ian suggested with a soft smile and her face lit up. 

"That would be really nice." Mandy answered, standing up and continuing to hold her gaze on the red head.

Ian furrowed his brow as he noticed Mandy's lip beginning to quiver. He closed his eyes and pulled her in against his chest, being the bigger person and doing his best to be there for her in her time of need.

"I'm so sorry, Ian. I'm so fucking dumb." She sobbed into his shirt as he held her silently, rubbing his hand gently on the back of her head. 

"Everything is so fucked right now. I just want our old lives back. I fucking hate what Mickey's become and I hate myself." She continued on. "Can't even talk to him anymore without needing to have a fuckin' assistant of some sort fit time into his schedule first."

Ian took in what she was saying, letting her vent. She didn't say another word, though, as she cried in his arms for the next ten minutes. As much as he hated her for leaving, he found himself already forgiving her. He needed her as much as she needed him, even if he didn't want to admit. 

She looked up at him with red puffy eyes and sniffled. "In sorry for ruining your shirt."

Ian looked down at the water marks from her tears and black eye makeup smudged into his gray t-shirt, instantly laughing. 

"Shit, you ruined my Versace." Ian teased and she rolled her eyes, also letting out a laugh. 

"I'd really like that shower now if you don't mind." Mandy said and Ian nodded. 

"I mean it's not gonna be the water pressure you're used to now, I'm sure."

"It's home, though. I really missed being home." She said softly before turning around to head up the stairs. 

Ian took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, wondering what the fuck just happened. He pulled out his phone and saw he had a missed call from an unknown number. He shrugged it off and swiped the notification away as he went up stairs to grab Mandy some clothes. He knocked on the bathroom door before entering, Mandy yelling out a, "Come in." over the sound of the shower. 

"I brought you clothes. They'll be on the floor when you step out. I'll be in my room when you're done." Ian said as he left the bathroom and nearly bumped into Debbie who was eaves dropping in the hallway. 

"So what's the story? What's she doing here?" Debbie asked.

"She apparently doesn't like the life of the rich and famous anymore. House was foreclosed and her other brothers are MIA so she needs a place to stay for a bit."

Debbie raised an eyebrow. "Is _he_ coming back?"

"No Debs. I don't think so."

"Good. Don't get me wrong, I like looking at him on TV and magazines and shit, but I just don't think it would be a good idea if he came back."

Ian rolled his eyes. "I can handle myself, mom. Now go down and wait for the pizza. Mandy and I have a lot of catching up to do."

"Whatever. Just remember what I said about-"

"Yeah, yeah. I got it." Ian interrupted as Debbie gave him a concerned look before going down the stairs. 

Ian sighed and went into his bedroom, desperately needing a joint. Mandy walked in a few minutes later wearing a pair of Ian's sweatpants and a baggy shirt. She walked over to the bed, getting under the covers beside the red head and taking the joint to take a hit.

"Aren't you gonna ask?" Mandy said as she laid on her back and stared up at the ceiling, exhaling the smoke.

"Ask what?"

"How Mick's doing."

Ian thought about it for a moment, but decided not to go there with her. At least not yet. 

"Don't wanna know." Ian lied. 

She rolled onto her arm and looked at him with knowing eyes. "Bullshit."

Ian looked the other way to avoid eye contact. "I'm serious."

She raised an eyebrow. "Ian fucking Gallagher. We may not be close right now but I still know you and I know when your ass is lying. So go ahead, ask me."

Ian slowly moved his head to look at her, relishing in his high. Why the fuck not, he thought. 

"How's he doing?" Ian asked, giving in.

"Terrible. He may look like he's doing really well on all the movies and commercials and on whatever else he's in. He used to be fine when he first started out but now he's just a corpse at best. Like he's there, but he lost his soul or something. Ian, I'm worried about him. I'm afraid he's gonna lose sight of himself."

"What do you mean by a corpse at best?" Ian asked, finding himself caring more than he wanted to.

"He's just dead inside. He does his movies and shit but I know he's unhappy. Plus he mostly drowns himself in alcohol. Pretty much like what you're doing with weed. This is your second joint, do you really need it?" She asked.

"Absolutely." He answered exhaling the smoke, Mandy rolling her eyes.

"So... what's new with you?"

"I work at a fuckin' diner and my life sucks. You?" 

Mandy chuckled darkly. "That's all I'm gonna get? No new guys or anything?"

"I don't date anymore."

"Neither does Mick unless it's a publicity stunt." Mandy muttered. "Does Lip still live here?"

"Technically yes. He's up from college for the weekend."

"Still in college?" Mandy raised an eyebrow. 

"It's been a rough last few years." Ian answered blatantly before looking back at Mandy. "Is he... Is Mickey coming back?"

"No." Mandy answered short. 

"Isn't he wondering where you are?"

"I told him where I am. He said-" 

"Ian! Mandy! Pizza!" Debbie screamed from the bottom of the stairs, Mandy practically jumping out of bed.

"Thank Christ. I'm starving."

"Wait, he said what?"

Mandy was already out of the room to go indulge in the pizza. Ian huffed, trying his best to stop himself from caring but failing miserably as he desperately wanted to know what Mickey had to say about Mandy staying with him. For now, he'd go eat pizza with an old friend and try to find out more later on that night.


	5. Best I Ever Had

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning) by Vertical Horizon

Lip stumbled drunkenly inside the darkened Gallagher house a little after midnight with Megan, the girl he was at the movies with. They both giggled at nothing, having a bit too much to drink. Lip shushed her as he tip-toed to the kitchen to grab a quick snack before taking the blonde up to his room. He opened the fridge and saw the box of leftover pizza. Feeling ravenous, he immediately grabbed the box and began heating up a few slices for the two of them. 

A light from upstairs turned on and both Lip and Megan froze in place, letting out another laugh. Ian appeared at the bottom of the stairs with annoyance waving over his face.

"Can you be fucking quiet? We're sleeping up there." Ian whispered.

"Sorry 'An. Eatin' pizza then goin' up." Lip slurred out and Ian narrowed his eyes at his older brother incredulously.

"Just be quiet, please. We have a guest." Ian said as he turned around and headed back up the stairs. 

Lip and Megan let out more laughter as the microwave dinged indicating their pizza was ready. After they finished, Lip felt himself start to sober up a little bit, though still pretty tipsy. They both tried their best to quietly make it up the stairs, Lip holding Megan up as she was more inebriated than he was. Lip opened the door to his bedroom and Megan stumbled inside, crashing down to the bed and instantly passing out. He placed a blanket over her and tip-toed out to go to the bathroom.

He glanced over at Ian's room, light illuminating from under the closed door. He furrowed his brow as he heard Ian and his brothers talking, assuming Carl and Liam were out late and just getting in. He also heard a female's voice. Lip quietly stepped closer to the door and rested his ear against it, suddenly recognizing a familiar voice. He opened the door, startling everyone in the bedroom.

"Mandy?" Lip asked, trying to focus on her and wondering if this was just a dream.

Mandy stared into Lip's eyes for a moment before turning her gaze back onto Carl. "Alright, so go on with your story about that kid in your ROTC class being a douchebag." She said, completely ignoring Lip.

Ian glanced up at his older brother and shook his head disapprovingly as Lip walked into the room and sat down beside Liam.

"So boys, late night? Fiona know?" Lip asked Carl and Liam while lighting a cigarette. 

"No. I took Liam out to the arcade and I just sorta lost track of time. Fiona wouldn't care anyway, she's always out late." Carl retorted as Liam shrugged indifferently. 

"Whatever you say." Lip said, burning his gaze on Mandy who refused to make eye contact with him. 

Ian noticed his brother eye fucking Mandy and instantly became protective over her. "Ay dumbass. She's not here for you so go back to that chick you have in your room." 

"Why _are_ you back? Rich dick just not up to par these days?" Lip asked sarcastically as Mandy rolled her eyes, moving her gaze back to the older Gallagher for just a moment.

"Because I want to be back. I don't owe you any sort of explanation so you can just fuck right off." Mandy retorted, looking away from him and onto the floor. 

"Burn!" Carl yelled out, everyone instantly glaring at him.

"You look good, Mandy." Lip complimented, ignoring the rejection he'd just received. 

"Christ, Lip. Just get outta here." Ian sighed out as he could feel Mandy beginning to tense up.

"Can we just-" 

Mandy stood up and jumped off of Ian's bed and headed for the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Lip put out his cigarette and ran out after her. Ian rolled his eyes knowing it would only be a matter of time before she caved. Her phone began to ring and Ian glanced down at it curiously. The caller ID was of an unsaved number so he ignored it.

"Mandy got even hotter than I remember." Carl said nodding like an idiot. 

"For fucks sake, Carl. You were like, 13, the last time you saw her." Ian said, suddenly interrupted by the phone ringing again.

He looked down at the phone and it was the same number calling. As soon as it went to voicemail, the number called again.

"Christ. She got a psycho boyfriend or something?" Carl asked, glancing over at Liam who was falling asleep sitting up.

"She didn't mention she had a boyfriend but maybe? I'll go let her know." Ian said as he grabbed the continuously ringing cellphone and pushed Lip aside to knock on the door.

"Mands, it's Ian. Your phone's blowing up with some unsaved number. Want it?" He asked.

"Can you just answer it and tell them you're my body guard and to fuck off. I get a lot of weirdo fans calling me ever since shithead got famous." Mandy mumbled from behind the door and Ian sighed, walking toward his room and getting ready to answer the phone. 

The phone stopped ringing and he felt relief, about to open his bedroom door until it rang again. _Damn this fan is a fuckin' stalker._ Ian thought to himself as he answered the phone, automatically in defense mode. He hit 'answer' and brought the phone up to his ear, putting on his best tough guy voice.

"This is Mandy Milkovich's security guard. I'm going to have to ask you to stop calling-"

"The fuck? Who the fuck're you?" 

Ian's heart stopped and felt like it instantly fell to the ground. He remained silent as the voice spoke up again. 

"I know you're not her fucking security guard, asshole. Where's my sister?"

Ian couldn't speak. Every time he tried to, his throat closed. He'd dreamt of this moment for five years, the one day he would get the chance to speak to his ex again. He'd replayed the scenarios over and over in his head, practicing what he'd say if he ever got the chance to talk to _him_ again. Now that the time had finally come, he couldn't say a word.

"Ian?" Mickey asked, recognizing the sound of the red head's breathing.

Ian stared at the wall, completely motionless. He couldn't move but wanted to run from the phone. Run away from everything. His brain flooded with distant, foggy memories of the brunette and suddenly felt his heart begin to ache. 

"Is anyone there?" Mickey asked, suddenly bringing Ian back down to reality. 

"Y-yeah. You want Mandy?" Ian asked. 

"Who is this?"

Ian felt his cheeks burn in anger, knowing Mickey knew damn well who he was speaking to.

"Really? You're really gonna act like you don't know who this is?" Ian spit out angrily.

"Ian." Was all Mickey said. 

Ian wanted to tear him apart, tell the brunette how bad he fucked him up when he left. But he also wanted to tell him how sorry he was for ruining the best thing that he ever had. Ian decided to go with neither choice.

"Want me to go get Mandy now?"

"No." Mickey answered.

"W-what? Then what do you want?" 

There was a pause before Mickey spoke again, Ian wondering what was going through the brunette's head at this moment. 

"I um... Is she safe with you?" Mickey asked.

"Of course."

"That's good." 

Ian glanced back at Lip who was still trying to get Mandy out of the bathroom. He turned back around to face the wall. 

"Yup." Ian answered short.

"How have you been?" 

Ian couldn't help but let out a dry laugh. "Never would have guessed we'd ever have small talk. I remember how much you used to hate it."

Mickey lightly chuckled, clearly loosening up a bit. "Lot's changed I guess. Comes with the career and all."

"How do you like it? Acting I mean." Ian asked, scrunching his face and smacking his hand onto his forehead feeling like an idiot for asking such a stupid question. 

"Oh, it's uh, it's alright. Lotta fuckin' bullshit though. Movie stars can really be ridiculous. I definitely liked it better when I first started out."

Ian chuckled and turned around to hear the bathroom door open and seeing Mandy grab Lip into the room with her before slamming the door shut. The red head rolled his eyes, disappointed but unsurprised that Mandy gave in.

"I can imagine. I've read about actors and directors and shit having a hard time working together especially if someone has high demands."

Mickey let out a small laugh and Ian's stomach turned, missing that laugh. He shook off the thought immediately.

"Ian?" Mickey asked and the red head furrowed his brow. 

"Yeah?"

"I'm really sorry for leaving the way I did."

Ian froze, not expecting Mickey to be the one who would apologize first. He remained silent, unsure of what he should say.

"I just wanted you to know that. Anyway, I've gotta go. Tell Mandy to call me tomorrow please."

"I'm sorry too." Ian muttered. 

"Okay." 

"Okay." Ian repeated back to Mickey before the brunette abruptly ended the call. 

Ian felt himself leaning his back against the wall and sliding down into a crouching position, dropping his head low and interlocking his fingers behind the back of his head. All he wanted in that moment was Mickey and he hated himself for it, knowing he was the true reason why they broke up and why the brunette wasn't still there with him. As he finally admitted it to himself, he felt a weight slightly lift off of his shoulders. Ian sighed before he began to let built up tears roll down his cheeks.

He quickly got up and went into his bedroom to see Carl passed out and Liam still asleep sitting up. Ian grabbed his own phone before dropping Mandy's down on his bed. Ian angrily wiped away the tears as he started to send a text to Luke, needing someone to numb the pain for the moment.

**********************

Mickey hung up the phone and stared down at it for a few moments as he sat alone in his darkened house on the kitchen floor. He regretted talking to Ian, showing him how vulnerable he was. He decided it would never happen again as he got up off of the floor and headed into his bedroom where some guy was waiting for him in his bed. He, too, needed someone to numb the pain and wished he could just forget about the fucking red head who broke his heart.


	6. Fuck It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back) by Eamon

Mickey's eyes slowly fluttered open as he woke up in his California king bed... Alone. He stretched, relishing in the comfort of the bed and being the only one in it. The brunette reached for his phone and saw he had a text message.

Mandy (5:07AM): New number? Ian said you called and wanted to talk to me

He felt sick when he read the man's name in the text. He sniffed, bringing his hand up to his head and running his fingers through his hair before answering the message. 

Mickey (8:15AM): Yeah. Some fans somehow got my last phone number so I had to change it. You up still?

He dropped the phone on his pillow that felt like a cloud before getting up and heading to his enormous bathroom. He sighed, wishing he could just stay in bed all day after the emotional exhaustion of the night before. Instead he had to get ready for some stupid interview that would most likely bore him. They always ask the same pointless, redundant questions and he just wasn't in the mood to fake a smile. 

That's how his life felt these days: Fake. Everything felt staged and sometimes he had a hard time determining what was actually real and what wasn't. He no longer had the luxury of simply walking down the street to go to the store without being bombarded by paparazzi, begging him for photos and autographs.

And the fans were equally as frustrating, constantly looking at him like he wasn't an actual human being. They would beg for pictures and selfies and comment on his looks, not actually appreciating his talents. It made Mickey feel shallow about his existence, knowing he had way more to offer than taking pictures with people he didn't know.

He got out the shower and stared at the reflection in the mirror, wishing he could take back calling that talent scout. But it was too late and he had an interview to be at. He waited for his assistant, Tiffany, to pick him up and take him to the studio where the interview was being held. He was glad to at least be with his co stars and not having to go alone, but he still hated having to do the interview regardless. 

He heard the doorbell ring and he went to grab his phone, seeing he had a text. 

Mandy (8:43AM): I am now. Wanna call me?

Mickey (8:45AM): Can't. Have an interview. After though?

Mandy (8:45AM): Typical.

Mickey sighed at the message knowing Mandy wasn't happy. He knew she left LA for that very reason, but this was his life now and he had to make the best of it.

His phone suddenly ringing startled him. It was Tiffany and he knew she was probably getting antsy. He answered the phone as he headed down the stairs of his Malibu style home to answer the door. 

"I know I know. I'm ready, I just needed a minute." Mickey answered as he paced his way to the front door.

"You're late. Let's fucking go." She demanded and hung up. 

Tiffany always kicked Mickey's ass into gear, over the years becoming very close to him. Although she was his assistant, she was a great friend and confidant. He opened the door to be greeted by her typical celebrity's assistant look: A black pant suit with black stilettos high enough to bring her to Jesus and her chestnut brown colored hair sleeked back into a tight pony tail. She was taller than Mickey even without the heels, probably weighing 110lbs soaking wet. She had perfect facial features, looking like a model. And lastly, she had Gucci sunglasses on covering her beautiful green eyes. The Gucci was of course to support Mickey for his new Gucci Guilty commercial.

"Nice fuckin' pantsuit." He greeted her and she flipped him off in response. 

"You ready to go? Grady's gonna kick my ass and then yours if we don't get there soon. Douchebag calls me a few minutes ago and he says, and I quote, _'Tell Mickey that his ass is grass if he's not here in the next ten minutes.'_ I was like, 'Slow your fucking roll, dude.' Christ."

Mickey chuckled darkly as he grabbed his Ray-Bans and followed Tiffany out to her shiny black BMW. She peeled out of the never ending driveway and gunned it down the street, trying to get Mickey to his interview as soon as possible. She turned on the radio and glanced over at the brunette, his blue eyes looking somber.

"What's eating Mickey Milkovich?" She asked, Mickey turning to glare at her completely unamused by her reference.

"Seriously, what's going on? You usually have an asshole-ish persona but today you just seem like a sad asshole and it's kind of depressing."

"It's nothing." Mickey answered, turning his head to look out the window so she couldn't see his face.

"Don't lie to me, Milkovich. I know you."

Mickey let out a small sigh, turning to his assistant knowing she wouldn't give up. He trusted her with practically everything so he felt comfortable telling her.

"Alright. So you remember me telling you about that guy who fucking ripped my heart out with his bare fucking hands and pissed on it before he dumped me and wasted, like, five years of my life?"

Tiffany lowered her sunglasses as she glanced at Mickey's furious face.

"Well shit, I take it you saw him or something? This was the guy that made you leave Chicago years ago, right?"

"That's him. Ian. Fuck, even saying his name makes me wanna puke. Anyway, I called Mandy last night because I was worried about her after she left. She and Ian used to be friends before she ditched him and came with me out to LA so she's staying with him and his family back in Chicago. When I called her, the asshole answers the phone and makes me lose my shit for a minute."

Tiffany pushed the sunglasses back against her face as she continued driving. 

"Don't tell me you told him you miss him?"

"Fuck no! I acted like a weak little bitch, though. Told him I was sorry for leaving when I'm not. I'm glad I left. Fucker deserved it."

"So you still love him." She stated, not questioning it as she knew the truth. 

"Absolutely not! He's probably out somewhere bouncing off the walls and not taking his meds. I don't need that. I don't need him. And I couldn't care less about him anymore." 

Tiffany let out a humorless laugh. "For someone who 'doesn't care', you seem to be pretty hung up on him."

Mickey rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "What kind of friend are you if you're not even on my side?"

"I'm not your friend, I'm your assistant. Friends don't hang out only if they're being paid to do so." She teased and Mickey rolled his eyes. "So what are you gonna do?"

"Forget about him. I'm serious when I said I wasted my time. He did me dirty. Even cheated on me. I mean, he was sick. Actually, he was really fuckin' sick. I fucking took care of him. Not his siblings, not Mandy, but I fucking did. And he still dumped me."

Tiffany stopped the car as they arrived to the studio. She unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to Mickey as she pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head. 

"You ever think that maybe he didn't want to be taken care of like a handicapped person and that he just wanted to be loved for who he is?"

Mickey narrowed his eyes at her. "I _did_ fucking love him."

"Do. Not did." She corrected with a smirk and Mickey brought a hand up to his nose, momentarily wanting to run her over with the car.

"Let's go inside before Grady murders us both." Tiffany suggested as she got out of the car and entered the LA sunshine and dry heat.

Mickey sighed heavily before following suit, now in an even worse mood than before. He entered the studio behind Tiffany and shook hands with Jimmy Fallon, preparing to film the interview for The Tonight Show.

"Mickey, it's a pleasure! I'm super excited to have you on the show. I saw an early screening of Oceans Between Us and you were fantastic! I can't wait to talk more about it." Jimmy said with glee and Mickey had to admit he was a little star struck.

"Thanks so much, man. Means a lot." Mickey replied, realizing he must've done something right to be talking to Jimmy Fallon right now and that maybe this interview would be different. 

Jimmy waved goodbye as he headed toward his dressing room and Mickey walked over to his own. Once inside, he had an outfit already picked out for him. He sighed once he saw it was a fucking suit which he loathed wearing. After he got dressed, there were hair and makeup artists that came in and he loathed them even more than the suit. Once he was ready, he waited backstage with his cast mates for Jimmy's current interview to end as they were up next.

Jane and Josh, Mickey's cast mates, walked over to him and shared looks of excitement. Jane let out a quiet scream as she was also star struck by Jimmy Fallon, being a new actress to the industry. 

"Jimmy fucking Fallon guys. That's all." Josh said, adjusting his thick black glasses giving off the whole sexy nerd appeal. 

"Are we going with Grady's publicity deal, Mickey?" Jane asked and Mickey closed his eyes in aggravation. 

"What fucking deal?" He gritted through his teeth. 

"He said that he was in the works of getting us to sign a contractual agreement to pretend to date in real life since we looked so good in the movie." Jane said, feeling terrible about the whole thing as she understood Mickey's sexual orientation. 

"No. I'm not doing it. He can fucking fire me." 

"I'm with you. I think it's honestly pretty fucked up that he'd even ask. I was just making sure we're on the same page." Jane said with a soft smile as she put a hand on Mickey's arm.

His face softened, happy to have her on the same page. Not everyone was when it came to secret dating contracts because it meant more money for them. Mickey had agreed to doing a dating contract twice but it was with men, and he still felt gross about it. Since then, he decided he wasn't going to pretend to date anyone anymore even if it meant a hefty pay check.

"Alright guys. You're on!" The stage instructor said.

Josh smiled. "Here we fucking go, guys. Get pumped!"

Mickey put on a fake smile as they began to walk toward the stage, lights nearly blinding him. The audience clapped on cue of the teleprompter as Mickey, Jane and Josh took a seat on the couches. As the audience settled down, Jimmy grinned at the actors and actress before him.

"Guys! I love your hard work and dedication that you put into everything you do. I wanna just take a quick minute to spotlight Mickey's new Gucci add and show you my add that I feel is pretty comparable." Jimmy said as they turned to the screen behind them, all of them nearly dying in laughter. 

On the left side of the screen, it displayed a picture of Mickey shirtless with his hands slightly m tugging down at the front of the waistband of his jeans and looking into the camera seductively. On the right side of the screen was a photo of Jimmy imitating Mickey's photo, looking ridiculously goofy. Everyone laughed at the side-by-sides, including Mickey who also began to blush. 

"So, guys, who wore it better?" Jimmy teased.

"Definitely you." Mickey answered through a laugh. 

"Jane, this is your debut role. Before this, what did you do?" Jimmy asked, Jane giving a generic answer that Mickey didn't care much to listen to.

Jimmy asked Josh questions which he also gave generic and bland answers to. Mickey tuned them out for the moment, looking out into the audience as he saw all of the people. Some were holding up 'We Love Mickey!' signs. He noticed another sign m that read 'Mickey, Please Date Me!' of course, being held by a teenage girl. He shuddered at the sign when he looked at Jimmy who was now ready to interview the brunette.

"So, Mickey. You're from Chicago. South Side to be exact. How did you end up in the film industry?" Jimmy asked, sipping his coffee from his mug.

"Right place at the right time. Cliche, I know. But the absolute truth." Mickey responded the way he always did for that question, feeling robotic. 

"Well, I think we can all agree in saying that you're awesome at what you do. You've got a massive fan base and literally blew up the internet. And you're only, what, twenty four?"

Mickey nodded with a fake smile. "Twenty four." He confirmed. 

"So I think the big question of the night is are you and Jane dating? You two looked like you had so much chemistry in the movie and I know your fans are dying to know!"

Jane smiled softly at Mickey, waiting for him to respond. Mickey decided to keep things as real as possible, not caring about what the consequences might be. 

"Nope. She's honestly incredible and an awesome partner to film with, but I'm not really into girls. Strictly into men." Mickey answered, feeling liberated to say the words out loud. 

He had come such a long way from being the scared, closeted South Side thug he used to be. It was hard for him to adjust to the idea of being out in the industry, but he was tired living the way people wanted him to. People assumed he was either gay or bisexual anyway since he's had to date men under contractual agreement, but he'd never talked about his true sexuality publicly before. 

"And you just keep getting even more amazing, Mickey. Takes a lot of courage and strength, man. You've grown to be one of my favorite actors for just keeping it real all the time. You should be proud of yourself."

The audience clapped and cheered as Mickey actually smiled genuinely for the first time tonight. He did feel proud of himself. He saw Tiffany in the front row who looked thrilled, cheering obnoxiously for him. Mickey chuckled to himself. 

"Well, we need to know! Do you have a special someone?" Jimmy asked, audience going silent, anticipating his answer.

Mickey decided to continue keeping it real because why the hell not. "No, not for a long time now."

"So you did?" Jimmy asked, audience gasping. 

"I did. He was my first love. But he dumped me and was actually part of the reason why I left Chicago."

"Well, I'll I have to say to that guy is eat your heart out! Look at you now, right? His loss." 

Mickey mustered up a smile, trying to fight away sadness. 

"Indeed." Mickey agreed.

*****************

Ian's jaw dropped as he watched the interview that night on his TV. Mandy shook her head in disbelief. 

"I told you he's a shit head." Mandy said.

Ian couldn't believe that Mickey came out on television, a shock in its own, and then put him on blast for the world to see. He glared at the brunette on the screen, wanting to punch the smug look right off of his face.


	7. Elastic Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Elastic Heart by Sia feat. The Weeknd & Diplo

Mandy sat down on the couch beside Ian and Carl, instantly sighing and shaking her head as she saw her brother on the television screen. Ian lit up a joint, quickly inhaling the smoke. He narrowed his eyes at the screen as he listened to the brunette spew a load of shit to Ellen DeGeneres on her show. 

"So, Mickey. You've grown to be one of America's favorite actors in the business today. You're also my favorite, just so you know." Ellen said as Mickey smiled and blushed. 

"Wow. That really means a lot to me coming from you. That's just- wow.. Thank you." Mickey said to Ellen, words sounding phoney as Ian snorted.

"Oh please. He's so fucking fake now." He muttered taking another hit of the joint and Carl shushing him. 

"No thanks necessary. I really wanted you on here today to discuss your thoughts on the tremendous amount of positive feedback that you've received from coming out on The Tonight Show a few nights ago. I think it's really important to relay that you've truly helped others out there who are apart of the LGBTQ community struggling on a daily basis with acceptance of who they are. So thank _you_ for your courage and strength and for also just being an awesome individual." Ellen said with a smile, putting a hand on Mickey's arm.

The audience clapped and Mickey nodded graciously. Ian rolled his eyes and took another hit. God, he hated how good Mickey looked in a suit. 

"That's so awesome. I would never want anyone else to struggle or feel the way that I did. It sucked, to say the least, growing up in the closet with no support. Definitely tough to overcome." Mickey said to Ellen who nodded understandingly. 

Mandy and Ian huffed out a humorless laugh, both being people who had supported Mickey in the past.

"Now, didn't you say the other night that you _did_ have a boyfriend back in Chicago before you moved to LA?" Ellen asked and Mickey nervously laughed. 

"Yeah. He, um, yes. It was sort of a toxic relationship. I dunno, it's complicated. He was my first love and you know how that goes. He had a lot of baggage and that alone was tough to deal with as well as trying to juggle accepting who I am. But funny story, he actually contacted me the other night and begged for me to get back with him." Mickey lied looking straight into the camera and Ian nearly choked on his smoke. 

"What the actual fuck? I never called him?" Ian said, face turning red in anger as Mandy's widened eyes remained glued on the screen.

"Oh dear. What did you say?" Ellen asked.

"I said no way. Must've wanted his five minutes of fame or something after watching my interview the other night." Mickey said, letting out a laugh.

Ian was so angry that he felt the heat radiating off of his pale skin. He put the joint out on the ashtray beside him, buzz completely gone.

"There's no fucking way I'm letting him get away with airing out our dirty laundry to the world and lying about us, making me look like I'm some psychotic asshole. Take me to LA." Ian ordered as he stared at the screen, tuning out Mickey's words.

"No. I'm not going back there. You don't even know what it's like. You enjoy your freedom of taking a piss in peace, right?" Mandy asked as she grabbed the remote and changed the channel. 

"It can't be _that_ bad. You did it for five years." Ian retorted, standing up and pacing in his living room before stopping to stare at Mandy. "I can't let him get away with this, Mands. We need to go. He literally made me look like the biggest piece of shit. I know I fucked up but it wasn't my fault that I was in the midst of a mental breakdown and had no idea that I was ill."

Mandy pursed her lips. "Ian, shit gets pretty wild out there and he's not the same person that you knew as you clearly just saw. I agree, he's a douchebag for doing these interviews but I'm not sure that flying out there to confront him is a good idea."

"Flying out where?" Lip interrupted as he made his way down the stairs and walked over to Mandy, kissing her cheek and making her blush. 

Ian rolled his eyes, knowing Mandy giving in to Lip was inevitable but stupid of her. 

"Out to LA." Ian answered, walking closer to Mandy. 

"I'm down to go." Lip said, taking a seat on the couch. 

"Me too!" Carl added.

"Not you two. Douchebags." Ian said as he glanced down at Lip who flipped his brother off in response. 

"Ian, trust me when I say it's not a good idea. I'm constantly being followed by paparazzi and I'm not even an actress. Everyone invades your space and will do _anything_ to get a response from you. It migh not be the best idea for you with the Bi..." Mandy trailed off.

"You can say it. Because I'm Bipolar. Well I can handle it, okay? I need to go out there. He lied to everyone on TV for Christ sakes!"

"That's exactly what I was talking about. He's changed, Ian. He doesn't care about what you or anyone else thinks. All he cares about is himself and I'm scared it's too late for him to change back to the person he was. He wouldn't even talk to me with out scheduling a fucking meeting first. He's ridiculous." Mandy said, feeling the anger she had towards her brother resurfacing.

"So let's go and confront him about it." Ian suggested, walking back over to the couch and taking a seat. 

"You're literally one of the most hated people right now because of Mickey. You realize this, right? You would get eaten alive out there if we went. His fan base is fucking huge and you should see what people are saying on the internet." Mandy said as she pulled out her phone to bring up Mickey's Facebook page.

She handed the phone to Ian with an apologetic look. Ian reluctantly took the phone, looking at Mickey's most recent Facebook post that Mandy had pulled up. It was song lyrics above the corresponding music video shared from YouTube reading:  
_"Fuck what I said. It don't mean shit now. Fuck the presents, might as well throw 'em out. Fuck all those kisses, they didn't mean jack. Fuck you, you hoe. I DON'T want you back."_

Ian's eyes widened at the post and he looked up at Mandy in shock. 

"Is this joker serious right now? What is he, a teenage girl?" Ian muttered as he started to read the comments. 

The top comment from a Bethany Martinez read, "Yo, fuck that guy for ever dumping you. You deserve the world!! #TeamMickey"

Another post from a Drew Stath read, "LOL you're probably a douche if you're a grown ass man making a post like this. #TeamMickeysEx"

Ian looked up and raised an eyebrow at Mandy. "I have my own hash tag."

Mandy rolled her eyes and grabbed the phone. "That's not my point. My point is that there are plenty of fans out there who would try to get in your head for hurting Mickey."

Lip reached for Mandy's phone, face filled with amusement as he scrolled through the comments and laughed. 

"Dear Mickey's Ex, you are a pile of dog shit and are 'pathtec' for still calling him at night. You're just trying to use him for his fame. So 'pathtec'." Lip said mockingly in a girl voice as he read the comment and bursted out into laughter. "Ian, apparently you're _pathtec._ Jesus, this girl looks fucking ten years old. No wonder why she can't spell." 

Ian chuckled and moved his puppy dog eyes back to Mandy. "They don't even know my name or anything about me. Please, I'm _actually_ begging you to take me to LA. I can handle a little hate. Don't make me feel _pathtec_ about it." Ian teased as Mandy let out a small laugh.

"Christ. Are you sure you wanna do this?" Mandy asked, smile diminishing as she looked at the red head seriously.

"Yes. I need this." Ian said sounding sure, though, deep down feeling unsure. 

He wanted to punch Mickey in the face for lying about their relationship but he also wasn't sure why he even cared in the first place. It had been years since they broke up and for some reason, the red head couldn't get Mickey out of his head.

It must've been the stupid smirks Mickey made. The same smirks that melted Ian's heart years ago. Or maybe his stupid blue eyes, also the same ones that Ian had fallen in love with. The red head suddenly felt conflicted, not entirely sure of what his motives truly were to go out to LA. He brushed away his thoughts, thinking that maybe it was just the weed talking. 

"Alright. I'll book a flight. But we're only staying for three nights, including tonight, and leaving first thing Sunday morning. I don't want to be out there long and I'm sure that Fiona's gonna be pissed if you leave her high and dry when you're supposed to be at work. You're gonna need to tell her that you're leaving with me as soon as possible." Mandy said sternly as she pulled out her phone and searched for flights. 

"Can we go, too?" Carl asked.

Mandy raised an eyebrow. She looked at Lip who was grinning at her. Mandy sighed as she looked back down at her phone. 

"Fiona's gonna fucking kill me." She mumbled to herself as she purchased four first class tickets for a direct flight out of O'Hare to LAX at 4:30 pm.

"Fuck yeah!" Carl yelled as he ran upstairs to pack some of his things.

Lip kissed Mandy gingerly and Ian huffed. The older Gallagher pulled away and grinned with excitement. 

"I'm so glad I planned to ditch classes this week." Lip said as Ian rolled his eyes.

Ian didn't know why, but he suddenly felt butterflies knowing that he'd be on a flight out to LA in only a few hours to finally see Mickey in person. He shrugged away the butterflies and remembered that he was supposed to be mad at the brunette, though, unsure if he even was anymore.

"We should pack our shit. Flight's in less than three and a half hours and I wanna make sure we get there in time." Mandy suggested as the three of them stood up to go upstairs.

"I've never been on a plane before." Lip said with excitement. 

"It's not that great, to be honest. Makes me fucking anxious so I have to take a Valium or something before we go." Mandy said sounding distressed as they walked upstairs. 

"I'll take a Valium." Ian teased, earning a glare from Mandy. 

"Not a fucking chance. You've already smoked two joints today." Mandy shot back and Ian smirked. 

"Figured I'd try." Ian said as he pulled out his phone to call Fiona and tell her he was going away for a few days and would be back on Sunday morning. 

Mandy sighed before grabbing the few clothes she currently had and putting them in a bag that she would use as a carry on. She planned to grab more clothes and things when she got to her home in LA to bring with her back to Chicago. Since she and Mickey lived together, she bought two rooms at a hotel for the duration of their short stay, knowing staying at her house with her brother wasn't an option. Once the four of them were packed, she called for an Uber to pick them up and bring them to the airport.

Mandy threw on one of Lip's baggy sweatshirts, wearing the hood up and throwing on sunglasses to stay discrete. She didn't want anyone recognizing her and it to somehow get back to Mickey. Mandy didn't want him to know that they were coming, Ian agreeing with her.

The Gallaghers kept Mandy behind them as they got out of the car and headed into the bustling airport. Luckily, no one noticed her. Once inside, they sat down and waited impatiently for their flight to board, all anxious to get to LA.


	8. Overnight Celebrity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Overnight Celebrity by Twista featuring Kanye West

As Mandy and the Gallaghers walked out of the airport terminal, Ian felt a mixture of anxiety and excitement. He took in all of LAX, thinking it was already everything he expected it to be. To others, it was crowded, noisy and fast paced. But to him, it was filled with opportunity. 

Mandy smirked as she noticed the Gallghers' faces lighting up, not even outside of the airport yet. Carl grinned when he saw a few beautiful girls, skin perfectly sunkissed, who were also exiting the terminal looking like they were returning home to LA. He nodded to them and they giggled, whispering to eachother.

"See you around, ladies." Carl flirted as he passed the giddy girls and headed outside to wait for Mandy's body guard, Bruce, and assistant, Kate.

"Shit, I wish the girls in Chicago were this hot." Carl said as Mandy rolled her eyes and looked down at her phone to see she had a missed call and voicemail from Mickey. She furrowed her brow and held the phone up to her ear to listen. 

"Hey, Mandy. This is, what, the seventh time I've tried to call you? Look, I get you're pissed at me. I guess I haven't been the best brother to you lately. And I should have tried harder to get you to stay home. But shit's getting really crazy for me right now with the new movie and everything else. I know you know that, you're just being stubborn. This isn't all on me since I've been at least making the effort to try and talk to you. Anyway, call me back when you get a chance please. I hope you're okay."

Mandy slowly brought the phone down and started to regret her decision of bringing Ian out to LA with her. She knew that Mickey was in high demand in the industry right now, constantly busy as that's what the job entailed. And Mickey was right. She understood that even if she didn't want to admit it. She was just being stubborn and deep down, she was selfishly jealous of her brother. They had been close growing up and she hated the possibility of him making it big and leaving her behind as being alone was one of her biggest fears.

Mandy instantly felt guilty, realizing that she may have been too hard on her brother and that maybe she was the one giving him the cold shoulder after all. The Milkovich sighed and took off her sunglasses to look at the red head who was mesmerized by the palm tries, only ever seeing them in pictures.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea, guys." Mandy said, breaking Ian's focus on the palm trees and causing him to turn to her in confusion. 

"Why not?" Ian asked.

"I mean- I don't know. Mick's my brother. He may be sort of an asshole but we _are_ kind of bombarding him unexpectedly. Maybe he said those things in his interviews as his own way of expressing his bottled up feelings. You guys haven't even talked things out-"

"Mandy, he lied on television and made me look stupid. I need to go through with this. I need to talk to him." Ian interrupted her, feeling anger building up inside. 

"Ian, what exactly is the outcome that you're searching for? You're going to go yell at him and make him feel like shit. Cool. But then what? Is confronting Mickey really that important to your life currently? He didn't even use your name. No one would even know he was talking about you except for us."

Ian narrowed his eyes at Mandy as he took her words in carefully. He was torn, wanting to confront Mickey but also not sure what he really wanted out of it. Sure, he could make his ex feel like crap. But is that even what he wanted? Did it truly matter what Mickey said on television if Ian knew the truth about what happened between them? His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by three men with cameras approaching them.

"Fuck. Don't talk to any of them no matter what." Mandy ordered quietly as she turned around, refusing to look at any of the papparazi and putting her sunglasses back on.

"Mandy! How was your trip? Did you have a good flight?" A paparazzo asked. 

"Mandy, could you give us a smile? Is it true that you and Mickey are fighting?" The second paparazzo asked. 

Ian grabbed Mandy's waist protectively, Lip and Carl surrounding her as the paparazzi snapped pictures consistently.

"Mandy, are these your friends?" The third one asked. 

"What did you think about your brother coming out on The Tonight Show?" Paparazzo number two asked.

"Fuck off, douchebag." Lip uttered, Mandy smacking him as he already broke her request of not talking to them. 

"What's your name, guy? Mandy, could you look at at us please?" Paparazzo number one asked. 

"Is the red head your new boyfriend, Mandy? Does be get along with Mickey or are you guys fighting because they don't get along?" Paparazzo number three asked.

"Kate's here." Mandy muttered as a black SUV pulled up, Kate and Bruce jumping out and rushing over to the Milkovich. 

"Mandy, please talk to us! We love you!" Paparazzo number one yelled out, continuing to take pictures obnoxiously. 

Kate and Bruce surrounded Mandy and escorted her and the Gallagher brothers to the SUV. Ian turned around and looked at the Paparazzi with disgust, understanding why Mandy hated them so much.

"Hi, sir! What's your name?" Paparazzo number three asked, snapping Ian's picture. 

"Ian, let's go!" Carl yelled out from the back of the SUV, earning a hard shove from Lip.

"Ian! Look over here! Smile! Are you Mandy's boyfriend? What does Mickey think about you two? Can you tell us how you feel?" Paparazzo number one asked.

Ian knew he should have just got inside the SUV, but he didn't. 

"Feel this." He muttered, shoving the camera out of his face and holding up his middle finger before turning around and getting inside the SUV. 

He slammed the door as the paparazzi were still trying to take pictures. Kate peeled out and moved along to take them to the hotel that they were saying at.

"What the fuck, guys! What part of 'don't talk to the paparazzi' did you not understand?" Mandy asked infuriated. 

"Well Carl's the one who revealed Ian's name!" Lip yelled, glaring at Carl.

"At least I wasn't the one who went semi-2007 Britney Spears on them. Christ." Carl muttered, crossing his arms and looking out the window. 

"Great. It's going to be plastered all over the internet now. Awesome job everyone." Mandy huffed.

"Mandy, I'm sorry. I was just trying to protect you. They wouldn't stop." Ian said quietly, regretting his interaction with that paparazzo.

"You're right. They won't stop. They will do and say _anything_ to get a response from you. I warned you." Mandy answered bluntly.

"It won't happen again." Ian promised, turning his head to look out the tinted window of the SUV.

Mandy glanced over at Ian and sighed. "I'm really not trying to be a mega bitch about this and I'm sorry if I'm coming off that way. It's just important to steer clear from them at all costs or else you'll really have something to be upset about. You think you're mad at Mick for fabricating? Wait until you see what these sleeze balls pull out of their asses and then tell me how bad Mickey's white lie is." 

Ian nodded as he continued to stare out the window, taking in his new surroundings as they made their way to The Ritz Carlton. He couldn't believe how beautiful LA looked compared to the shitty South Side of Chicago. The comparison, or lack there of, was almost comical to him.

As they arrived to the extravagant hotel, Kate and Mandy's body guard made sure everyone made it inside safely. The Gallagher brothers' jaws nearly dropped to the floor once they saw how luxurious and ostentatious the inside of the hotel was. They had never seen anything like it in person. Ian had been to his fair share of fancy hotels that older rich men would take him to years ago when he was a dancer at a club in Boystown, but mone of the hotels he'd stayed at came close to this one.

They approached the front desk for check-in and Lip swallowed hard as he watched Mandy swipe her credit card, noticing the outrageous price of a three night stay at The Ritz Carlton. He decided he would do his best to make up for it later on in ways other than money.

As they all stepped into the elevator, including Kate and Bruce to help escort them to their rooms, Mandy's phone rang. She looked at the ID and saw it was Mickey. With much reluctance, she decided to answer it.

"Hey, Mick."

Ian's neck snapped up as he watched Mandy take the unexpected call from her brother. 

"Mandy! Jesus, I thought you'd never answer me." Mickey said, sounding relieved.

"I'm sorry for being such a cold bitch to you. You're right, I'm stubborn. And I know that you're busy, I'm just-"

"Woah. Relax. Hearing you apologize is good enough for me. You don't gotta get all emotional and shit." Mickey teased.

Mandy smiled to herself, though, smile diminishing as she realized that his forgiveness would soon be retracted once her brother found out about who she brought out to LA with her. The ding of the elevator interrupted her train of thought and brought her back down to reality, trying to figure out ways to handle the situation at hand. 

"Are you in an elevator?" Mickey asked. 

"Um. Yes." She answered.

Ian furrowed his brow and stared at Mandy, trying to hear what Mickey was saying as they stepped out of the elevator and stopped for Mandy to finish her conversation. 

"Where... Mandy, where are you right now?" Mickey asked, voice sounding concerned.

"Well, we're at a hotel."

"At a hotel? The Gallaghers kick you out already?" Mickey chuckled. 

"They're... sort of with me at said hotel." Mandy said nervously.

Ian shot Mandy a 'what the fuck' look and she swatted him away, turning around to face the wall as the long silence on the other end became defeaning. 

"Mick? You still there?" Mandy asked, removing the phone from her ear to make sure the call hadn't dropped. 

"Mandy, where the fuck are you right now? And why am I looking at a fucking post from TMZ with Ian flipping off the camera? The caption is saying he's your new 'badass' boyfriend?"

Mandy's eyes widened and she immediately turned around to face Ian.

"Is this from their website?" Mandy asked.

"Answer my goddamn questions. Where the _fuck_ are you right now and how did Ian get featured on a TMZ post?" Mickey gritted through his teeth, shaking Mandy to the core. 

"Well, we're, um, sort of in LA-"

"What the fuck is wrong with you? I can't even believe you right now." Mickey said interrupting her.

"Mick, I'm sorry! He wanted to talk to you in person about some shit and I agreed to take him here out of spite. I was wrong and I'm sorry." Mandy said apologetically, blocking her other ear with her hand as a group of noisy teenagers were slowly getting closer to them from down the hall.

"You realize what you just did, right? What you just did to _me?_ Why the fuck would you just decide to fuckin' fly him out to LA without telling me?" Mickey nearly screamed into the phone. "Hold on." He said as he had another call waiting. 

Mandy closed her eyes and sighed, having a feeling this would blow up in her face. 

"We can't do this, Ian. We've gotta go home. Mick's furious and rightfully so. We should have never come out here." Mandy said, eyes filled with regret. 

Before Ian could respond, Mandy held up a finger as she heard her brother returning to their call.

"Mandy... He's fucking trending on Twitter right now. Hash fucking tag Mandys new man. I don't even have words."

"We're just going to head back to Chicago, Mick. It was a mistake coming out here-"

"Look! It's Mandy's new sexy boyfriend!" A random girl from the noisy crowd yelled as they were only a few feet away now. 

Ian's eyes widened in fear as they approached him, Bruce stepping infront of Mandy and Ian as Kate began to walk everyone to their rooms.

"You've gotta be fuckin' kidding me right now. I'm dreaming, right? This is a goddamn nightmare." Mickey said into the phone as he heard the screaming girls.

"We'll fix this. Just... I'm sorry. We'll fix this." Mandy promise as she and Lip got to their room while Ian and Carl entered the connecting room next to Mandy's.

"You're at The Ritz Carlton, correct?" Mickey asked, ignoring Mandy's most likely empty promise. 

"Yes. How'd you know?" She asked, opening the door connecting the two rooms to see Carl jumping on the bed and Ian standing in the doorway staring at her.

"Fucking Twitter. I'll be there in thirty. Do _not_ leave your room. I'll call you when I'm there." Mickey ordered before hanging up the phone and heading to the hotel. 

Mandy widened her eyes, still holding the phone up to her ear in shock. She didn't expect her brother to be coming to their hotel and she was honestly scared to see what was about to unfold. 

"What did he say? Are we going home?" Ian asked, Lip wrapping his arm around Mandy's waist as he sensed the tension. 

"Are you all set for now, Miss Mandy?" Kate asked.

"Yes. Thank you both for your help. I'll call you if I need something." Mandy said as she lowered the phone from her ear and saw the time had only read 6:30 pm, forgetting they were two hours behind Chicago time now.

Kate smiled as she and Bruce left the room. Mandy slowly glanced back up at a very distraught Ian.

"Mandy, what's going on?" Ian asked.

"Well, you're tending on Twitter as my new boyfriend for starters." Mandy said nonchalantly. 

"Christ." Lip muttered with a dry laugh.

"Starters? There's more?" Ian asked. 

"Yeah. Um. Mickey's sort of going to be here in about thirty minutes."

Ian instantly turned pale as a ghost and felt his heart start to pound out of his chest. He had planned the confrontation out in his head multiple times but now that it was actually happening, he wasn't so sure that he wanted to actually go through with it. He swallowed, realizing there was no going back now.


	9. You and I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: 
> 
> You and I by PVRIS

"I think he's here." Carl said as he looked out the window to see a black BMW surrounded by screaming fans.

Mandy ran over to the window to look, quickly pulling out her phone to dial her brother's number. He answered on the first ring.

"Mandy, this is fucking why bringing him here was a bad idea. Do you understand that I now need Kate, Bruce _and_ my own body guard just to walk me inside the goddamm hotel? Fucking Christ." Mickey scolded her.

"I know. I told you, I'll come up with something to fix this." Mandy replied, watching the crowd outside from the window. 

"Be up in a minute." He muttered, ignoring her before hanging up.

Mandy sighed heavily as she and Carl walked over to Lip and Ian by the bed and dropped the phone down. Ian was watching her intently as he began to feel overwhelmed in anxiety. This was it. This would be the first time he would be seeing Mickey in five years and he wasn't sure whether he wanted to punch a hole in the wall, pass out, vomit or all of the above. 

The screams from outside suddenly got louder, causing the four of them to rush back over to the window to see Mickey in between his body guard and Bruce. He was being quickly escorted inside with Kate leading the way. Ian felt his palms sweating as he caught a glimpse of the brunette, instantly moving away from the window and sitting on the bed to try and calm his nerves. 

Time felt like it was moving so slow, though, it had only been five minutes since Mickey entered the hotel. Ian began to nervously rub his thumb against his jeans in a circular motion, feeling like he'd soon rub a hole straight through the pants.

"Jesus, how long does it take to -"

Mandy was suddenly interrupted by loud knocking on the door, Ian instantly snapping his neck up to look in the direction of the knocking. Mandy pursed her lips, giving Ian an admonishing look before walking towards the door. Ian braced himself as Mandy opened the door, letting in Kate and Mickey as the body guards stood outside. 

"Mandy, I helped bring your brother up. It's really bad out there. It seems like everyone knows you're-"

"She fucking knows. She's the one that created this shit storm." Mickey interrupted Kate, keeping his burning glare on Mandy. 

Ian held his breath as the brunette hadn't noticed his presence yet. The red head couldn't take his eyes off of Mickey, not remembering him looking so good. He wasn't even dressed up, only wearing light wash jeans with a black fitted t-shirt, and Ian still found himself very attracted to him. The red head glanced at the brunette's new muscular body, noticing the tattoos that covered his arm and suddenly having familiar urges that he remembered all too well. Ian immediately brushed the thoughts away as he wasn't here for that.

"Is there anything that either of you need before I leave? Bruce and John will be outside of the door waiting for you." Kate said with a soft smile. 

"Good. I have to leave in a half hour to go to some stupid ass party at some club on Sunset Boulevard. Tiffany said she'd drive me there." Mickey muttered. 

His words lingered in Ian's head, voice still sounding the same. Ian missed that voice so fucking much, but again, quickly snapping himself out of his thoughts as he was here to confront his ex and nothing else.

"Sounds fun." Mandy said, glancing over at Ian and shooting him a glare for noticeably eye-fucking her brother. Ian blushed when he realized Mandy saw him, instantly bringing his gaze to the floor.

"Be safe." Kate said before exiting the door, teenage girls waiting outside as John and Bruce continued to guard the room until further notice.

"So why did you need to come down here? We could have just FaceTimed or something." Mandy said, anticipating the moment that Mickey would turn around and notice Ian. 

"It's easier to talk in person." Mickey answered.

Mandy raised an eyebrow. "You could barely make time to have a simple phone call with me but you somehow have open availability to see me now that Ian's here?" She asked as Mickey let out a humorless laugh. 

"So fucking dramatic. Where is..." Mickey trailed off as he finally turned around and immediately locked eyes with Ian.

Mickey went completely rigid, looking like his mind went entirely blank as Ian's green eyes were glued on the brunette's blue ones. Ian suddenly felt memories flooding his mind, feeling like they were drowning him. Every kiss, every touch, every fight, all crashing into him at once. Although the brunette was once Ian's everything, he was now a stranger.

"Well this is fucking awkward." Carl said, breaking the silence and leaving Mandy's room to go into his own.

"Do you guys need a min-" 

"No." Mickey interrupted Mandy, suddenly coming back down to reality. 

Ian remained silent as Mickey caught his breath and walked over to the window to see his sister's mess that he had to clean up outside. 

"So what happened? Start from the beginning." Mickey asked turning around to face them but avoiding eye contact with Ian.

"Well, we were watching your interview on Ellen this morning and decided to come out here and maybe talk things out. We got to the airport and the paparazzi noticed me and noticed Ian trying to protect me so they assumed he's my boyfriend." Mandy said, glancing down as she still felt guilty about the situation.

Mickey ignored the second half of Mandy's explanation. He suddenly smirked mischievously and licked his lips before speaking, remembering how that used to drive Ian crazy. "Take it _'we'_ didn't like what was said in the interview, hm?"

Mandy brought her gaze on Ian and widened her eyes as she saw his face burning red, knowing he was about to pop off. She inhaled, running her fingers through her hair as Mickey continued to hold a cocky grin.

"Fuck you, Mickey! You fucking lied and made me look like a psycho to the world!" Ian yelled, balling his fists in anger.

"Oh boo-fucking-hoo, Firecrotch. So, what, you thought you'd convince my sister to bring your ass out here to call me some nasty names or something like we're still in high school? Keep in mind that if you're trying to pick a fight with me, I'll fucking win. Every goddamn time." Mickey uttered as Ian stood up.

"Hey, take it easy. We need to figure out this Ian and Mandy bullshit before you two hash out your stupid shit." Lip interjected, moving to stand between the two raging men.

"You're a fucking asshole." Ian uttered to Mickey, ignoring his brother.

"Learned from the best." Mickey retorted, pushing Ian's buttons. 

"I'm glad you left Chicago. I've been doing really fucking good without you. I didn't need you then and I don't... I don't need you now." The red head lied, voice dropping on the last few words.

"Oh yeah? Why're you here then, Gallagher? If you're doing so well without me and don't need me, then why the fuck did you fly your ass all the way out here? Sounds like a load of bullshit to me."

Ian tensed up, never feeling more angry in his life. He didn't know how Mickey was able to get under his skin the way he was, but he was ready to finally unleash five years of built up anger and animosity. Ian shoved Lip to the side and charged forward at the brunette who was still smirking and waving the red head on. Mandy ran after Ian, grabbing a hold of his shirt and yanking him backwards. The force of Mandy's grab brought Ian onto his ass on the floor, just in time for Mickey to take a swing at nothing. 

"Guys! Fucking stop!" Mandy yelled.

"I fucking hate you." Ian gritted through his teeth as Mickey stared down at him.

"I don't care." Mickey muttered, pushing past Mandy and stopping at the door. He turned around to glare at his sister. 

"You fucking happy now? For Christ sakes, I almost hit him." Mickey said, bringing his hand up to his nose as he glanced down at the very angry red head still sitting on the ground. 

"Mickey, I'm sorry. I didn't think-"

"Don't even fucking go there with me right now, Mandy. You goddamn knew that bringing him out here would only make things worse. The whole fucking point of leaving was to get away from him. If I wanted to see him, I would have." Mickey interrupted his sister, stepping forward and looking back down at Ian. 

"And yes, I fucking lied on that interview. You dumped me and threw me away like I was a piece of trash. Like nothing that I did for you ever mattered. _I_ was the one who made sure you took your meds so your ass wasn't bouncing off the fuckin' walls. _I_ was the one waiting up for you like some bitch when you'd cheat on me at that stupid club. And I was the fucking one who completely let down my guard for you. I even came out for you and that still wasn't enough. You still fucking dumped me. I loved you, Ian, and you ripped my heart right out of my goddamn chest."

Ian stared up at Mickey with remorse, seeing how broken his blue eyes looked. He knew that talking to Mickey about their past would be hard, but he didn't realize how hard it would actually be. He thought that he'd feel better about talking things over, instead, feeling entirely worse. He wanted to jump up and wrap his arms around the brunette and tell him how sorry he was. He wanted to kiss away the pain and pretend that none of this ever happened and that things never ended between them, like this was some horrible nightmare that took years to wake up from. Ian glanced down in defeat, knowing it was too late for any of that. 

"I was mentally ill, Mick. I didn't even know what I was doing back then and half the time my brain was too foggy for me to realize what you did for me. All the sacrifices you made. If I could take it all back, I would. I'm just... I'm really sorry for breaking your heart. I really did love you, too." Ian took a deep breath before finally laying out the truth, completely vulnerable. "I still do." Ian admitted, holding his gaze down and not being able to look Mickey in the eye.

Mandy widened her eyes, glancing over at Lip. He felt Mandy's gaze on him, nodding over to Ian and Carl's door. Mandy nodded in response as they both headed to the connecting door and closed it behind them to give Mickey and Ian a moment. 

"I cared about you, Ian. I really did. But what you-"

"I'm still in love with you. I still fucking want you." Ian interrupted him, bringing his gaze back up to Mickey. "When you left Chicago, I knew I made the biggest fucking mistake of my life. I've tried so goddamn hard to get you out of my head. Fuck, I can't even function anymore without getting high. Then I realized that I can't forget you because you're the one. You always have been. I was just too sick to see it back then."

Mickey remained silent, holding his gaze to Ian's and taking in his words carefully. As the silence continued for a few more moments, Ian sighed and stared down at the floor, knowing Mickey was most likely finished talking about his feelings as that had always been a rarity. To his surprise, the brunette suddenly broke the silence.

"Fucking prove it." Mickey muttered under his breath.

"What?" Ian furrowed his brow and brought his gaze back up to Mickey, the brunette's demeanor completely changing. Ian slowly got up off the ground and stared at the latter blankly. The red head carefully took a step forward. Once he noticed that Mickey wasn't moving, Ian took another step. He was now close enough to almost be touching the brunette, though, still testing how close he could get away with before being shoved away. 

"Fucking prove to me that you still want me. Show me how much you want this. How much you need it." Mickey said, voice sounding more confident. 

Ian swallowed hard, risking taking another step closer. His face was now nearly touching Mickey's, the brunette closing his eyes and inhaling Ian's scent. Mickey opened his eyes slowly, waiting for Ian to make a move.

Ian stared into Mickey's piercing blue eyes, feeling the intensity building. He was close enough to feel the heat coming off of Mickey's skin, remembering how soft it was. Ian slowly brought his hand up to Mickey's face as he continued to hold his gaze. The brunette slightly winced, not being touched like that in years. Ian knew it was now or never, taking one last moment to look into the brunette's eyes.

The red head moved his hand from Mickey's cheek to the back of the latter's head, Ian's heart suddenly racing. He finally grew the courage to press his lips to Mickey's, pulling him in impossibly close as the brunette reciprocated the kiss. Ian slightly parted his lips, sliding his tongue inside of Mickey's mouth as the brunette softly moaned into the kiss. The soft sounds of lust made Ian crave more, making him want to push further. 

With one quick movement, Ian brought his free hand to Mickey's belt buckle, tugging at it and moving his hand over the brunette's erection. As the red head began to stroke Mickey teasingly over his jeans, the brunette suddenly broke away from the kiss and shoved Ian off.

"You're gonna have to do better than that, Gallagher." Mickey said through panting, currently out of breath. 

Without another word, Mickey turned around and opened the door to leave the room. Ian caught a quick glimpse of Mickey's body guard starting to clear a path for the brunette, the door immediately closing and the sight of Mickey was gone. Ian remained still, staring at the door and replaying everything that just happened in his head. All he could hear was Mickey's voice.

_Fucking prove to me that you still want me._ He kept replaying those words over and over again. His thoughts suddenly interrupted by Mandy cracking the connecting door open and peeking inside, noticing Mickey had left. She and Lip stepped inside of the room and approached Ian, Carl also following behind. 

"What the fuck just happened?" Mandy asked as everyone stood by Ian.

"I'm going to win Mickey back." Ian stated confidently. 

He realized that this would be the biggest challenge of his life as he was more than certain that the brunette wasn't going to give in easily. But he was ready for the chase, knowing it was about damn time he fought for Mickey.


	10. Crave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Crave by Tove Lo

"You good?" Josh asked Mickey as he walked over to the sink in the bathroom at the club they were at.

They had been out for Jane's birthday, though, LA clubs really weren't Mickey's thing. He knew that if he didn't go and at least get featured on someone's Snapchat or Instagram story at some point that he'd never hear the end of it from the crazed fans, assuming he was an asshole. Although he actually was an asshole, he had a reputation to maintain and couldn't chance fucking it up.

"Don't wanna talk about it. Shit, this molly's starting to hit me. Still got that coke?" Mickey asked as Josh grinned at him mischievously through the mirror, Mickey still thinking his cast mate's thick rimmed black glasses looked ridiculous even through the euphoria he was feeling from the MDMA. 

"Askith and you shall receiveith." Josh answered as he glanced over his shoulder to make sure they were alone. He pulled out the small baggie and handed it over to the brunette who grabbed it eagerly.

Mickey thought about it for a moment, realizing he hadn't played in the snow since before he left Chicago. He much preferred to drown his sorrows in alcohol these days. But tonight after seeing Ian, he knew he needed the extra rush to compliment the high he'd already developed. He began nodding his head to the deep bass of the music bumping outside of the bathroom and chuckled to himself, thinking about how he left the redhead at the hotel. Mickey wasn't sure if Ian was even going to try to chase him, but he was too high to care right now.

He dumped a small amount of the powder out onto his knuckle and sniffed, feeling the burning sensation as his eyes watered. It wasn't enough, though. One more small bump. Josh widened his eyes. 

"Yo, you're gonna be running through buildings if you keep that shit up."

Mickey ignored him, proceeding to dump out a little bit more. Before he could succeed, Josh snatched the drugs from the man's hand. 

"Jesus! Fuckin' cut off." Josh yelled, both men staring at each other angrily. Suddenly, Mickey's face softened and he let out a laugh, Josh following suit. 

_"Fucking cut off!"_ Mickey mocked Josh with a goofy voice causing them both to bellow out more laughter. Mickey grabbed the man's glasses and put them on his own face. "How do I look? Fucking obnoxious, right? That's how you look, motherfucker. You know who else looks fucking obnoxious?"

Josh raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Ian fucking Gallagher. He looks goofy as fuck with that red hair and the freckles. Fuckin' gingers, man." Mickey said as he began to feel the drugs kick in.

"Who the fuck's Ian Gallagher?" Josh asked through a laugh and began to walk outside of the bathroom. " You can wear the glasses if you want. They're not even real. Ladies love 'em. Maybe guys will, too." Josh winked and Mickey rolled his eyes. 

"I need to dance. I fuckin' hate dancing. Dancing's so gay. Ian used to dance. I really need to go dance." Mickey said, lips moving at the speed of sound as the drugs enveloped his mind. He sniffed, suddenly remembering how much he hated the dripping effect from cocaine. 

"Dude, I warned you. Mixing molly and coke is not a good idea if you're not used to it. You're so fucked up right now." Josh chuckled as Mickey pushed past him and went out to the dance floor.

Mickey felt possessed. It was like he was having an out of body experience that he most definitely didn't want to feel. The lights flickering and flashing were haunting his memories, though, making him want to become one with the lights. They were so fucking beautiful to his euphoric view. He intently watched the lights changing colors, falling into a trance and laughing once he broke from it. He swung his body around when he felt a delicate hand on his shoulder. 

"The fuck are you on and are you sharing?" Jane asked, laughing drunkenly with her beer in hand. 

"Birthday girl!" Mickey exclaimed. He didn't care who she was, he just wanted his own body to move. He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist, swaying his hips to the music as he continued to focus his gaze on the lights behind her. 

"Shit, Mickey! It's my lucky day! Thought you were strictly dickly but I guess I'm just irresistible." She teased as he dramatically rolled his head to look at her, pupils blown. 

"Relax. I'm definitely not into chicks which includes you." They both laughed as his brain suddenly kicked it into high gear. "Fuck, I need to dance. Gotta dance. These goddamn lights are beautiful. So fucking beautiful. Did you know that?" Mickey asked, mouth moving a million miles an hour.

Jane shook her head and laughed at her cast mate. She loosely brought her hand up to his shoulder, holding her beer in the other hand, and danced with him. They both began laughing as they were rocking their hips to the beat, feeling the drugs and alcohol take over.

"Damn, Milkovich! You've got some moves." She laughed out over the loud music as Mickey suddenly dipped her low and brought her back up.

"You know who had some moves? Ian had moves. So fucking hot." Mickey muttered out as Jane furrowed her brow in curiosity. 

"Who's Ian?" 

"My ex."

Jane immediately stopped dancing, Mickey following suit. She stared into Mickey's eyes, realizing the drugs were a mask to cover his deep rooted pain and not just to have fun. He glanced down at the floor, song changing to something slower, ironically suiting his depressive state. Jane held her gaze on Mickey with concern. He suddenly brought his hands up to his face, covering his eyes as he started to break down.

"Oh my god." Jane whispered, wrapping her arm around Mickey and walking them over to a booth. She sat beside him, wrapping both her arms around the man as he cried into the crook of her neck. She gently stroked the back of his head, wishing she could make her friend stop crying. She decided to just let him release his feelings that she sensed had been bottled up for too long.

Mickey sniffed, bringing his gaze back up to Jane with watery eyes. "I feel so fucking dumb. I'm so fucking dumb."

"Mickey, you're not dumb. It's natural to cry when you-"

"No. It's not about me crying. Fuck, I haven't cried in like three fuckin' years. You know how I told you about Mandy leaving LA?" Mickey asked through more sniffles as Jane nodded. "Well she came back. And she fucking brought him with her."

Jane's eyes widened. "Wait. Is he the one that was on TMZ saying he's Mandy's new boyfriend? The cute redhead?" She asked as Mickey sighed.

"Yup. That's fucking him. Guess the paparazzi thought he was her boyfriend or something but, yeah, that's him." Mickey confirmed as he began to compose himself. 

"Have you seen him yet?" Jane asked.

"Yes."

"Did you guys..." Jane trailed off as Mickey shook his head no.

"We didn't have sex or anything. But we made out. Which is why I'm so fucking dumb. I just wanted to forgive him like an idiot. Just forget everything that went south between us."

"But you didn't, right?" Jane asked.

"I didn't." Mickey confirmed. "Fucker told me he stills loves me then tried getting in my pants. I pushed him off before he could go any further. I wanted it so fucking bad, Jane. He's.. fucking perfect. But he tore my heart out and I couldn't let him back in that easily. Told him he's gotta prove to me that he still cares and show me that he wants this. I doubt he'll even do anything but I'm kinda glad I put my feelings first for once, you know?"

Jane smiled softly. "Absolutely. You've gotta put yourself first sometimes. On that note, make that motherfucker work for it! He deserves to sweat for a minute." 

Mickey chuckled and nodded. "He does. I do fuckin' miss him though."

"It's normal. So don't feel dumb. Although, Josh's glasses do look pretty lame on you. Guess you can _look_ dumb without actually being dumb, right?" Jane teased as Mickey furrowed his brow, realizing the frames in his peripheral. Before he could take them off, Jane gripped his arm.

"Fuck. I told you I'm fuckin' gay and don't want any of your female-"

"Mickey. Don't freak out." Jane said gazing past Mickey's shoulder. 

"Why do people bother saying shit like that? It freaks me out when you tell me not to freak out." Mickey said, glancing at Jane who was still looking past him. "Ay, you in there? Unless you took some of that molly, then you're fuckin' down for the count." Mickey teased.

"Turn around." Jane mumbled. 

Mickey furrowed his brow and slowly turned, following her gaze. Over at the bar stood Ian, Mandy and Lip each taking a shot. 

"No fucking way." Mickey whispered to himself, instantly slinking down in his seat. His phone buzzed in his jeans and he quickly pulled it out to see it was a text from Mandy. 

Mandy (8:13PM): Where are you? Tiff said you were here and Lip wanted to see what LA nightlife was like so we figured we'd stop here.

"Fucking Tiffany." Mickey grumbled as he texted her back, still trying to stay low. 

Mickey (8:14PM): Went home. Sorry.

"Mickey Milkovich! I'm fucked up, are you fucked up?" Josh yelled with his friends by his side, grabbing the glasses from Mickey's face.

"Fucker! Keep it down!" Mickey warned Josh, glancing at the bar to see Mandy turn around and point in her brother's direction. Mickey sighed heavily as he sat up.

"You fucking dick." Mickey mumbled to Josh who was too high to notice.

Mandy whispered something into Lip's ear, causing him to blush, before grabbing Ian and approaching Mickey's booth. Mickey felt his heart racing as his eyes were glued to Ian. The brunette couldn't help himself from thinking how good his ex looked, licking his lips at the sight. Jane nudged her elbow into his side.

"Christ! That fuckin' hurt!" Mickey yelled, breaking his gaze from the redhead and moving it onto Jane.

"You're undressing him with your eyes. Remember the whole 'I'm gonna make him sweat' thing you literally just told me about less than five minutes ago?"

"I know. He's just got some sort of fucking spell over me or some shit."

"Don't give in." Jane said as she stood up and stepped over Mickey to leave the booth, dragging Josh with her. 

"This doesn't look like home." Mandy said sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. 

"Changed my mind." Mickey muttered, grabbing Jane's left behind beer bottle and taking a swing. He looked up at Ian and sniffed. "You really just take a shot on your meds? Mandy's gonna have a great time taking care of your drunk ass tonight." Mickey teased, taking another swig as he felt himself coming down from his high.

"Oh, he's your problem tonight." Mandy retorted, nudging Ian closer to the booth and walking away.

"What do you - ay! Mandy!" Mickey yelled after his sister as she held up her middle finger to him continuing to walk towards Lip.

"This is a pretty cool club." Ian commented, glancing around to take it all in.

"You're not fuckin' coming home with me or whatever so you better march your ass back over there, Firecrotch."

"You wanna dance?" Ian asked, ignoring Mickey's rejection. 

Mickey glared at Ian, wondering how he was always so fucking cocky all the time. It didn't matter what he did, he always looked so confident and so sure of himself. And it was one of Mickey's favorite qualities about the redhead. 

"I don't dance." Mickey replied, wanting to punch himself in the face for getting so fucked up that he allowed himself to bust a move on the dance floor earlier with Jane.

"I'm gonna go dance, then." Ian said with a confident smile. He leaned in closer to Mickey's ear. "Fucking crave you, Mick."

Mickey closed his eyes, biting his lip as Ian pulled himself away to walk onto the dance floor. The brunette opened his eyes to see Ian staring at him from the dance floor, never breaking his gaze as he began to sway to the music. Mickey swallowed hard as he watched the redhead roll his hips the way he would when he used to dance at the Fairy Tail. He glanced down at his beer, remembering Jane telling him not to give in. The brunette brought the heel of his hand up to his face to rub his temple in aggravation. 

He glanced up at Ian who was smirking with the satisfaction of knowing he was being watched. Mickey stood up and walked towards Ian as if by gravitational pull. He chugged the beer, starting to feel the buzz come back, before putting the empty bottle down on a random table he passed by. 

"Yo, this is DJ Felli Fel and we're throwin' it back on this throwback Thursday." The DJ said as he spun the record, _Superman_ by Eminem starting to play.

Mickey kept his eyes on the redhead, wishing he could run away. It was too late now, he was already in Ian's orbit. Ian snickered deviously, pulling on Mickey's hand to bring him in closer. The redhead spun Mickey around, resting his hands on the brunette's waist.

Mickey bit his lip as he felt Ian's erection pressed against his ass. The redhead began to sway and grind his hips slowly against Mickey to the song. Mickey kept his hands at his sides, trying to resist temptation even though he was halfway there.

"Fucking miss that ass, Mick." Ian whispered, sending chills down his spine. 

Mickey kept his gaze forward, trying to focus on anything but Ian's dick. Ian slid his hands down from Mickey's hips to his thighs. It was in that moment that Mickey knew he was fucked. 

"I know you want me, baby. You know I want you, too." Ian purred the song lyrics close to Mickey's ear. 

Mickey began to loosen his tense body as he allowed the redhead to grind against him, suddenly finding himself reciprocating the movements. He pushed his ass impossibly close against Ian's hard dick, the redhead letting out a soft sigh into the brunette's ear.

"Fuck. I really fucking missed you." Ian murmured.

_Don't give in.. I really fucking missed you.. Don't give in._

Mickey felt like he was spinning out of control, not knowing which direction to take. He knew very well that giving in so soon and so easily would only damage him more when Ian had to leave Sunday morning. But he also wanted to run off to the bathroom with Ian and let the redhead fuck him in the stall. Mickey broke from his lustful trance and stepped away from Ian.

"I can't." Mickey said before walking over to Jane who had been watching him to make sure he was making the right decision. 

He glanced back at Ian one last time before turning his gaze away. He immediately felt proud of himself for sticking to his guns and although he'd never admit it, he truly hoped Ian would continue to try harder. He smirked to himself, wondering how much he made Ian sweat watching him walk away.

"You fucking dumbass! What if people were actually paying attention to you two and thought you were dancing with 'Mandy's man'?" Jane scolded and Mickey glanced around the venue, no one noticing him or staring. He shrugged.

"No one even cared to watch. It's fine." Mickey said as he nervously brought his hand up to his nose. 

"All I'm saying is be careful. For your heart's sake and for your reputation." Jane said as she turned her head to her friend to talk about something Mickey had no interest in.

He sighed and pulled out his phone to see he had a text. He opened it and immediately felt his heart race.

Unknown number (8:46PM): I'll do whatever it takes Mick. This isn't over... we aren't over

Mickey added Ian's contact information and put the phone into his pocket, looking forward to watching Ian work for it.


	11. Don't Leave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Don't Leave (cover) by Ben Woodard

Ian tossed and turned all night, beautiful nightmares haunting him. He saw glimpses of tattooed hands slowly running down his chest as they were happily wrapped up in one another between white sheets. The glimpse flashed to another memory, the first time they kissed. The flashback was hazy, distorted by medication and alcohol. The beauty of black hair and blue eyes illuminated through the blurred memories, though. It was all Ian had, all he held on to. 

He wasn't ready to let it fade, never wanting to let go. But somehow the memories continued to fade until the images that were once so vivid turned into something unrecognizable. Ian reached his hand out to grab the man who haunted his dreams, Mickey slowly vanishing before his eyes. Ian screamed at the top of his lungs as the vibrant colors that surrounded him began to darken. Coldness and loneliness began to envelope him, snatching away his happiness and warmth. Taking away Mickey.

Ian sat up abruptly in the unfamiliar bed of the luxurious hotel room. He turned to see Carl passed out on his own bed, Ian reaching for his phone and seeing the time read 3:38 am. He sighed heavily, plopping back down in the bed and regretting mixing alcohol with his meds. He stared up at the ceiling for a few moments, contemplating calling Mickey. Ian was only here for two more nights, knowing he had limited time to try and win his ex's heart over. There was no time for 'waiting until tomorrow'.

Ian sat up and headed to the bathroom, taking his phone with him. He had no more room for additional regret, only room for seizing opportunities and taking chances. He shut the bathroom door, locking it before he leaned against the wall and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He didn't recognize the man staring back at him, feeling disappointed in the person he'd become. It was as if his soul died five years ago when Mickey left and his body was stuck on auto pilot. 

_No more room for regret.._

Ian looked away from the mirror, taking a deep breath before dialing Mickey's number. It rang and rang, Ian's heart racing and palms sweating. By the fourth ring, Ian was ready to hang up; to just give up for the night and go back to bed. As he brought the phone down from his ear, hovering his thumb over the 'end' button, the familiar voice suddenly answered. 

"Hello?" Mickey asked in a sleepy voice.

Ian quickly brought the phone back up to his ear, shocked that Mickey was awake.

"Ian?" Mickey asked, voice sounding more alert.

"Hey." Ian answered.

"Jesus. You have any idea how late it is?"

"Or early, depending on how you look at it." Ian scrunched his face, thinking that was a lame thing to say and started regretting calling his ex at this hour. To Ian's surprise, Mickey chuckled. 

"Yeah. I remember you were up pretty fuckin' early when you were into that army shit."

"Military calls for discipline." Ian answered with soft chuckle. 

"Shit, remember that time you woke my lazy ass up at 4:00 am just to have me time your running? I wanted to punch you right in the fuckin' face for waking me up so goddamn early, but I couldn't let you down when you were so excited to show me how fast you'd gotten. You couldn't sleep and couldn't wait to show me at a normal human's time, like, 8 o'clock or whatever. It just had to be at the ass crack of dawn."

Mickey lightly laughed and Ian swallowed hard, not recollecting the memory. He sighed, assuming it was during the time of his mental breakdown. 

"Sounds like something I'd do."

Mickey paused as realization struck. "Oh... I'm sorry. I, uh, I forgot about your memory being a bit foggy during that time." 

"It's fine."

"So, um, why _are_ you calling me at 3:45 in the morning?" Mickey asked, starting to worry that Ian was possibly falling back into a manic episode as he had no idea how Ian's mental condition currently was anymore. Ian recognized the familiar worrying in Mickey's voice and closed his eyes.

"I'm not manic anymore, Mick. I'm finally balanced, trust me."

Ian could hear Mickey let out a small sigh of relief. "That's really awesome. Must make you feel better to be balanced. I know how rough shit got for you."

"Couldn't have done any of it without you. I've never thanked you for everything, for keeping me safe from myself. So thank you." Ian said, catching Mickey off guard and making the brunette pause before speaking.

"Sure." He answered sincerely. 

Ian stared at the floor, wishing he could be with Mickey in person. He wanted to be wrapped up in the brunette's arms, comfortable and safe from the world. He closed his eyes, wishing he knew how to turn back time. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Mickey's voice.

"It's pretty late. I think I'm gonna go-"

"I miss you, Mickey. I can't get you out of my head and you're fucking everywhere. Everywhere I go, your face is on some goddamn poster or you're plastered all over the internet. I can't even sleep in peace anymore without you seeing you in my dreams, constantly reminding me of what a fuck up I am for leaving you. For hurting you. I'm just fucking sorry. If you want me to leave you alone, I will. But until you tell me to stop, I'm not giving up on this. On us."

Ian listened to the silence on the other end, hearing Mickey's breathing reassuring him the man was still there. He ran his fingers through his hair as the silence continued to get louder. Ian softly sighed, deciding he may have pushed his luck for the night.

"Alright. I think I'm gonna go back to bed." Ian muttered. Before he could remove the phone from his ear, Mickey spoke softly. 

"Don't.."

"Don't what?" Ian asked.

"Just... Fuck. Just please don't fuckin' leave."

Ian took a deep breath before speaking. "I'm not going to leave you again, Mick. I'm-"

"I can't do this again, Ian. What you and I had was fucking amazing until it wasn't. Seeing you today and tonight at the club made me realize that I need to just fuckin' move on already and so do you."

"Don't say shit like that. You know as well as I do that we belong together. We both clearly can't move on, even after five years. Why are you so in denial about your feelings for me?" Ian asked, slightly raising his voice in frustration. 

"Christ - because I can't fucking trust you anymore! Because you killed me. You fucking murdered me, Ian. I haven't been the same since you left me and I can't fucking stand you for that. You took away everything from me. And the worst part was that you didn't care at all. You never tried to call me or write to me or anything. Then you expect me to just fall back into your arms when you finally decide to show some effort by flying out here? You say your meds are balanced and shit, but you're fucking delusional if you think I'm just gonna run back to you like nothing ever happened."

"I don't expect you to just-"

"Yes you fucking do! I'm not in denial, you fucking are!" Mickey yelled into the phone, words piercing through Ian like daggers. 

"I'm not in denial anymore, Mickey. I know what I did and I can't take it back. I just, fuck, I miss you and everything we had. I know you miss me too otherwise you wouldn't have kissed me earlier. You wouldn't have danced with me at the club. And you sure as fuck wouldn't have answered my call at three in the morning. I really need you, Mick. Just fucking admit that you need me, too."

Mickey huffed, Ian able to feel his anger through the phone. The brunette took a moment to breathe and calm down, taking in every piece of their conversation carefully. Ian knew earning his forgiveness and trust back was going to be difficult, but he wasn't ready to give up just yet. 

"I fucking need you. So fucking bad. But we just can't-"

"We can take things slow. Take it day by day. Start fresh. And if things don't work out this time around, then we can at least say that we tried."

"I don't know if I can do that right now. Life is really fucking crazy and-"

"You don't need to answer right this second. The offer's on the table, Mick. We're leaving Sunday morning back to Chicago, but like I said, I'm not giving up on us until you tell me to fuck off. Let me know what you think when you're ready."

Mickey remained silent, feeling utterly conflicted. 

"Alright, I'm gonna go now. Have a good night Mickey."

"Night Gallagher." Mickey murmured before hanging up.

Ian sighed, not entirely satisfied with how the conversation went but content with himself for making small progress. Some progress was better than no progress. 

He unlocked the bathroom and tip-toed back to bed, rolling his eyes at Carl's loud snoring. As he went to put his phone down, it buzzed in his hand. He'd never opened a text message so quickly in his life. 

Mickey (3:58AM): Have some free time before an interview tomorrow night. Maybe you guys could come by and hang out in the afternoon

Ian (3:58AM): Like a date?

Mickey (3:59AM): Fuck off. Bring my bitch ass sister and your brothers too.

Ian (4:01AM): It's a date!

Mickey (4:02AM): *Plan. Not a date, Firecrotch

Ian smiled as he put the phone down, looking forward to seeing the brunette later on. He was no longer tired, excitement keeping him awake. He had to remind himself that this was a baby step and not to rush things, though, he couldn't help feeling ready for more. Ian decided to go throw his phone again, pulling up Mickey's Facebook page to look through his pictures. Ian immediately noticed the 'fuck you' post was gone. He smirked, the sight assuring him of the slight progress they made tonight. Until suddenly his heart stopped. 

He noticed people commenting on a recent post of a movie still Mickey shared, Ian instantly widened his eyes. He saw in the comments a picture of himself dancing intimately with Mickey at the club, the person captioning it 'Lmfao Mandy's man keeps it in the family apparently'. He clicked on the thread and read through the comments. Everyone was tagging Mandy and writing nasty things about them. He went from loved to hated in a matter of ten hours, wondering what the fuck just happened and feeling emotional whiplash.

He screenshotted the picture as well as some of the comments and texted it to Mickey. Ian sat nervously in bed, waiting anxiously for a response. While awaiting the reply, he continued to read comments, instantly regretting doing so.

_Kayla Johnson: So fucked up. Mickey was just hung up on Ellen over some guy he supposedly fell in love with and now he's trying to hit on his sister's boyfriend? WTF?_

_Jim Paulsen: lmao @Mandy Milkovich. Check ya man!_

_Jilly Henson: what a shit show... that's a Jerry Springer episode waiting to happen_

Ian sighed, wishing things could just go right in his life for once. He received a message from Mickey, reluctantly opening the text.

Mickey (4:15AM): Already saw it. We'll figure it out tomorrow. Get some sleep and don't worry about it right now

Ian decided to put the phone down and laid back in bed, really wishing he had weed on him to calm his nerves. He thought if Mickey wasn't too upset about it that he shouldn't be either. Unless the brunette _was_ mad about it and wasn't letting him know it. Ian shut his eyes, trying to drown out his thoughts by listening to Carl snoring. He would have to wait until later on to find out how Mickey truly felt, and also to figure out what they were going to do about the situation as the paparazzi was most likely already camped outside of their hotel waiting to harass them.


	12. I Need Your Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> I Need Your Love by Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding

"LA is fucking awesome! I met this chick, Shawna, yesterday and I'm gonna chill with her in a few." Carl said, Lip and Ian rolling their eyes at him. 

"You better wear a raincoat, bud. Don't need anymore Gallaghers running around." Lip warned, taking a drag from his cigarette as they sat on the balcony outside of the hotel room. They glanced down at the crowd of fans waiting below for Mandy and Ian to leave the hotel to bombard them with pictures and questions.

"Whatever. Any girl would be blessed to carry my spawn." Carl retorted before going back into the hotel room to call Shawna and tell her he was on the way, leaving the room immediately after hanging up with her.

"I don't think any girl would ever want the anti-Christ growing inside of her." Lip teased.

"True. At least he made a friend out here. I'm sure it would have been kind of weird for him to be fifth wheeling it." Ian chuckled, reaching for Lip's cigarette and taking a long drag. 

"Fifth wheel? So you and Mickey back together?" 

"Well, no. But we talked last night and I think we're gonna try taking things slow. Like, super slow. I wouldn't even say we're together... _yet._ Just friends for now." 

"Just be careful, yeah? Things got a bit messy between you two."

Ian sighed as he handed the cigarette back to Lip. "Things are different now."

"Different how? Different as in he has a shit ton of money? That still doesn't make up for him being a South Side prick at heart."

"No. Different as in I'm not going through a Monica moment. Jesus." Ian snapped, feeling irritable due to lack of sleep. He checked his watch, time reading 8:30 am and realizing he had only gotten about thee hours of sleep last night. 

"Not gonna lie, I'm pretty excited to see what his and Mandy's house looks like. Still so fuckin' weird to me that Mickey Milkovich, a once upon a time South Side thug, is now a celebrity. Christ, it feels like only yesterday he was terrorizing the streets of Chicago and now look at him." Lip teased, Ian rolling his eyes and pulling out his phone to text Mickey. 

Ian (8:33AM): Morning... What's the plan for today?

"Is Mandy really still sleeping?" Ian asked.

Lip put out the cigarette and peeped through glass door to find Mandy still in bed, blankets and pillows covering her. He shook his head and glanced back at Ian.

"Still sleeping." Lip confirmed. 

Ian chuckled and moved his gaze back down to see the crowd, already causing him major anxiety. 

"I wonder how they do it." Ian said more to himself than to his brother, though, Lip furrowed his brow.

"How who does what?"

"I wonder how Mandy and Mickey handle being followed every single day of their lives. I get anxiety just by thinking people are watching me but to actually know you have _millions_ of people constantly watching you is insane. I just don't get how people can handle it like it's nothing." Ian said, spacing out as he gazed down at the crowd. 

"Mickey had to have known what he was getting himself into. I don't feel bad for celebrities. It's like, you're the one who chose this life so you need to accept everything that comes with it." Lip answered bluntly. 

"I guess... But I still feel bad. I don't think anyone would feel comfortable or ever get used to constantly being watched the way they are."

Lip shrugged and pulled out his phone to scroll through social media. Ian sighed, realizing this would be a major decision he'd have to think about if he wanted to be with Mickey. There would no longer be anymore privacy. They wouldn't be able to have a relationship without the whole world knowing about their every move. No more walking to the dugouts alone without a crowd following. No more simple dinner dates or any dates for that matter, again, without a crowd. Ian sighed as the thoughts became overwhelming. His phone buzzed and he immediately pulled it out to look at the message.

Mickey (8:44AM): How are you even awake right now lol

Mickey (8:44AM): Tell Mandy to bring you guys here when she wakes up. We can hang out by the pool or whatever. Also have a meeting that just came up with my manager at noon as well as the interview tonight. Both shouldn't take long though

Ian (8:45AM): Sounds like a date ;)

Mickey (8:46AM): *Plan. See you soon

"Let's wake Mandy up." Ian suggested, Lip looking up from his phone and smiled deviously.

He put the phone in his pocket and opened th slider door, Ian following close behind as they tip-toed into the room. They stopped at the bed, Ian holding up his index finger to shush Lip's chuckling. Ian counted off in a whisper, "One, two... three!"

Lip quickly removed the pillow fortress surrounding Mandy as Ian got on the bed and began bouncing.

"Rise and shine my beautiful pretend girlfriend! We've got shit to do!" Ian yelled as Mandy grumbled, trying to grab a pillow and cover her head.

"Oh my- fucking fuck off." Mandy muttered as Ian and Lip laughed.

"Wakey wakey!" Ian chirped.

"Christ, I'm up!" She yelled, suddenly turning to glare at Ian. "Fucking A."

"Welcome to the world, Mandy! Don't you see how beautiful it is outside? Such a nice change from the grime of Chicago." Ian observed looking outside as Mandy sighed heavily and rolled her eyes.

"Fuck off, that's what I see." She retorted, reaching for her phone to check her messages. As she read through them, she narrowed her eyes and looked up at Ian. "You fucking woke me up so that we can go to my house? Fucking annoying."

"Well, yours _and_ Mickey's. But yes, that's precisely why we woke you." Ian retorted, Mandy instantly wanting to strangle him.

"You've uh, also got a fan club forming outside." Lip said.

"Figured. Maybe now we can drop the whole Ian's my boyfriend act. It's not like it's crucial to anything anyway. Just a misunderstanding per fucking usual from the paparazzi." Mandy said as she got up from the bed and walked towards the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. 

"She's a fucking peach in the morning, isn't she?" Ian teased as Lip laughed. 

"Yup, and she's all mine. Luckiest guy in the world." Lip answered through a small laugh before walking towards the bathroom, opening the door and closing it behind him. 

Ian rolled his eyes as he heard the shower running and giggling coming from the bathroom. He looked down at his phone to see he had an incoming call. Without checking the ID in hopes that it was Mickey, he immediately answered. 

"Hey!"

"Ian, what the fuck is going on? You leave me a bland voicemail saying you're leaving to go to LA for a few days and then I see you online attacking a paparazzo. And please tell me Carl's with you because he never came home last night!" Fiona yelled frantically into the phone.

"Shit, Fi. I'm sorry. I should have waited until you answered instead of leaving a voicemail. Everything just happened so fast-"

"Ian, you randomly left Chicago. Please just tell me that you're okay and that you're not running away..."

"What? No. I'm fucking fine, Fiona. I'm not manic or going through anything, I swear. I'll be back Sunday morning."

"Carelessly running off to LA on an impulse, leaving me a vague voicemail, and attacking a goddamn paparazzo seems pretty fuckin' manic to me, don't you think?"

"No, Fiona. I don't think that. Can you let me fucking explain?"

"I'm calling Dr. Rossi. This is completely-"

"Christ! I'm here to get back with Mickey!"

Fiona paused, clearly taken back.

"Milkovich?"

"Fuck - Yes, Fiona. Mandy took me, Lip and Carl out to LA and we'll be back Sunday. I'm not flying off the rails and we're all fine. And that piece of shit paparazzo was harassing me and Mandy so that's why it looks like I'm attacking the guy when all I did was put my hand in front of the camera. I'm twenty two years old and don't need to explain shit to you."

Fiona sighed heavily. "You can't just up and leave and not expect me to worry _especially_ with the way you've been acting lately with the excessive drinking and getting stoned. The last time you left like this you were gone for months and you came back having to get committed to a mental health facility. I just love you, Ian. I worry about you even if you are old enough to make decisions on your own. Please just be careful out there."

"I'm going to be fine, Fiona. I've gotta go now. I'll have Lip and Carl check in with you later, okay?"

"Alright.. I love you."

"Love you too, Fi." Ian replied before hanging up, huffing in aggravation.

As much as he hated that Fiona hovered, he knew she was right. It was pretty irrational to just impulsively decide to fly out to another state in hopes of sorting out unfinished business with Mickey and he knew that. But he also knew himself well enough to know that he wasn't manic and wasn't in the midst of a breakdown. He hated that his family would always jump to that conclusion, though, he understood why. He instantly dialed Mickey's number, needing him in this moment. 

"Gallagher?" Mickey answered on the first ring.

"Mick, can you please come get me? I don't want to hang out with Mandy and Lip. I want to be alone with you." Ian answered, voice sounding frazzled. 

"Woah, slow down. What's going on?"

"I just.. I need you, Mick."

Mickey sighed noticeably into the phone. "We already talked about this. I thought we agreed to take it day by day."

"I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important. I really need you right now, even as a friend. Can we just hang out without them today?"

Mickey paused, lowering his voice before speaking. "You know as well as I do that it's not a good idea to hang out alone today."

"Why not?" Ian asked, causing Mickey to breathe out a humorless laugh.

"You seriously asking that question?"

"Why can't we hang out alone?" Ian pressed.

"Because I don't know if I can control myself around you. You fuckin' understand how hard it was for me to push you away yesterday? I'm sorry, but I've gotta stick to 'no' on this."

"Fine." Ian answered, not wanting to argue and ruin any future chances he had with the latter. "Mandy's in the shower so we should be over soon."

"Alright. Just remember I have to leave at noon for that meeting but then I'll be back before the interview tonight."

"What's the meeting and the interview about?" Ian asked, curiosity building. 

"Interview is more or less questions about myself and how I got to be where I am today. Meeting is for a new upcoming TV series that my manager thinks I should audition for."

"Cool. You gonna do it?" 

"Do what?" Mickey asked.

"Audition for the show." 

"Oh. I'm not sure. Kinda got a lot to think about right now and I might just want to take a break for a little while. I feel like I've been non-stop for the last few years."

Mandy and Lip suddenly walked out of the bathroom, startling Ian. The redhead rolled his eyes at them before turning around to face the wall.

"Mandy and Lip just got out of the shower so I'll see you soon." 

"Tell fuckhead to make sure the pool's clean!" Mandy yelled so Mickey could hear her.

"Ay, fuck you!" Mickey yelled into the phone, Ian chuckling at the response. 

"What did he say?" Mandy asked.

"He said he loves you." Ian teased. 

"No he didn't!" Mickey retorted. 

"He says he's excited to see you and the pool will be ready." Ian lied.

"Fuck - no he certainly did not!" Mickey yelled.

"Love you too, Mick!" Mandy yelled as she went to grab her purse. 

"Fuck you both." Mickey muttered.

"Can't wait to see you too, Mickey." Ian chuckled before hanging up and walking towards Lip.

"She texted Kate before jumping in the shower. Kate said she'd send up Bruce to walk us down to the SUV." Lip said as Mandy approached him and Ian with her purse. 

"Alright, make sure you guys actually avoid talking to the paparazzi this time and don't answer _anything_ they say. I'll be the one talking. Are we all good with this?" Mandy asked, Lip and Ian nodding. "Good. Let's go."

Mandy opened the door to find Bruce ready to escort them to the elevator. He cleared a path for them to enter the elevator, soon arriving to the lobby. Ian took a deep breath as he saw the crowd outside waiting. As they walked closer to the door, his anxiety progressed. The screaming grew louder as they made it outside. 

"Mandy! Can I get a picture with you?" A fan yelled out.

Mandy faked a smile and posed with the fan as Ian and Lip kept their gaze forward on the SUV that was waiting for them. 

"Ian! Is it true you're cheating on Mandy with Mickey?" A paparazzo asked. 

"He's not cheating because we were never dating. You just assumed." Mandy answered blatantly as she forced another smile and took a picture with other fans. 

"Ian! Can I take a selfie with you?" A fan asked, Ian turning his gaze to the voice. He glanced at Mandy who nodded approvingly before he smiled sincerely and took the picture with the girl, suddenly finding himself taking picture after picture.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Mandy. Ian, are you dating Mickey?" The same paparazzo asked.

"No, they're just friends." Mandy snapped, quickly moving on to the next fan for another picture. 

"Ian, can you tell us the nature of your friendship? You looked pretty close last night in the club." The paparazzo asked, Ian ignoring him nd continuing to take pictures.

"I said they're friends." Mandy snapped at the paparazzo and turned to the fans. "Alright, guys! We've gotta go. Thank you all!" Mandy said to the crowd as she waved goodbye with a smile, pulling Ian away from the crowd and leading him and Lip into the SUV.

Once they were inside, Mandy exhaled in relief. "That went better than I expected. Are you okay?" She asked Ian who looked tensed up.

"Yeah. I think I'm just having a moment." Ian answered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his Lorazepam with shakey hands. 

"Just let me know if I can do anything to help. I know this shit's overwhelming, but you get used to it." Mandy said as she put a hand on Ian's knee and softly smiled. "I'm gonna miss being your girlfriend. Like the good old days."

Ian took a deep breath as he felt himself slowly start to relax. He found it hard to believe that Mandy somehow 'got used to this'. He shook away the thought as he nodded, mustering up a smile. "You'll always be my best friend, Mands."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took longer to update than normal - I have been going through some personal things. Anyway, I hope you're enjoying this story and thanks for the awesome comments/kudos you've been leaving along the way! :)


	13. It's OK

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> It's OK by Frida Sundemo

Lip and Ian both froze as they were about to step out of the SUV. Ian slowly brought his gaze to the front of the Milkovich home, marveling it in its entirety. The house, more like a mansion, resembled something that you'd literally only see on television or in a movie. They had seen beautiful homes as well as enormous homes, but this one surpassed both. Ian found himself wondering how only two people, one of the two being a lone for the last week, could ever want to own a place this big. 

Mickey appeared at the front door and walked outside to where the SUV was parked. Ian narrowed his eyes as for the first time since he'd seen Mickey, only for a quick moment, he truly didn't recognize the brunette. Once the shorter man flipped Mandy off Ian felt instant relief, immediately reminded of who Mickey was even if he was standing infront of this unreal dream house.

"Ay, you guys gonna contemplate life in there all day?" Mickey yelled out, Mandy rolling her eyes and getting out first. 

"Don't be rude, asshole. They're still adjusting to everything. Remember your first time in LA? You were just as overwhelmed with everything." Mandy whispered to her brother as Ian and Lip were still staring at the house in awestruck.

"Fuck off, I'm only joking." Mickey huffed as he pulled out a cigarette.

"Hey! Thought you said you quit?" Mandy scolded.

"Since when did you become my mother?"

"Since our actual one fucked off and left us alone with Terry." Mandy muttered before turning to the SUV to grab Ian and Lip. "You guys coming?"

"Yeah, sorry. Never seen anything like this before." Ian answered, snapping out of his trance and Lip following suit. Mandy chuckled through a genuine smile. 

"It's cool. Let me show you guys around." Mandy offered, Lip and Ian stepping outside to follow her.

"Jesus, you really have turned into a rich prick haven't you?" Lip teased, commenting on Mickey's attire. 

The brunette narrowed his eyes before nonchalantly glancing down at his black shorts and slightly unbuttoned white cotton shirt. Or maybe Lip was referring to his hair that was perfectly full of volume, Mickey wondered. The brunette sighed, pinching the bridge of nose before taking another drag of the cigarette. 

"And I see you're still Southside trash." Mickey retorted, exhaling the smoke from his nostrils and turning around. "Fuckin' dick." He muttered under his breath as Lip snickered. 

Mandy rolled her eyes and grabbed Ian's hand to bring him inside of the house and show him around. His eyes remained as wide as saucers throughout the tour, not even capable of dreaming about something as beautiful as the inside of this house was. He was honestly overwhelmed with the space, walking past the indoor gym next to the indoor basketball court that had a giant framed picture of Mickey and Kobe Bryant on the outter wall. Mandy rolled her eyes when she noticed Ian staring at the picture. 

"That was before he retired. Mick thinks he's the shit for meeting Kobe Bryant." 

"Kobe... _Fucking..._ Bryant. Kobe was in your house..." Was all Ian could utter as he was starstruck by the basketball player in the photo.

"He's actually a pretty cool dude." Mandy said nonchalantly as they moved on to the home theater that had a giant screen and movie theater-style seats as well as Mickey's Oscars and other awards along the wall. Ian slowly gazed at the awards, feeling comfort knowing that Mickey made it out of the Southside and made something of himself. As much as Ian knew how his misery loved company and wished that things went down differently between the two, he was genuinely happy for his ex and all of his accomplishments.

"Seriously, dude. You don't even know how fuckin' awesome it feels until you get your hair washed professionally. It's like a massage but on your fuckin' head." Mickey's voice filled the theater as he and Lip walked in, Lip laughing as he was making fun of Mickey's hair.

"I'm cool with my barber back home. As much as a 'head massage' sounds nice, I'd rather not look like a rough around the edges Justin Bieber."

"Ay, fuck you. I do not look rough around the edges." Mickey retorted. 

"You chose to ignore me telling you that you look like Justin Bieber with that hair cut only to try and unconvincingly tell me that you don't look rough around the edges when you still have FUCK U-UP tatted on your knuckles? You're Hollywood now and you can't afford a fucking cover up or removal?"

"Don't wanna remove it. Reminds me of who I am." Mickey said, staring down at his knuckles and feeling Ian's gaze burning into him. 

"So, what, they like CGI it out during movies and shit?" Lip asked out of pure curiosity. 

"It's usually covered up with really good makeup and then if the makeup wears off, depending on what I'm doing in the scene, then they edit it out later. Other than that, I don't cover them up for anything else and let the camera crew blur it out when I'm doing live interviews and shit because I'm a fucking asshole like that."

Ian snickered. _That's_ the Mickey he knew. He drank in the brunette, attraction to his ex stronger than ever. Mickey glanced at Ian, feeling the redhead's gaze on him. The shorter man licked his lips and quickly moved his gaze on Mandy. 

"I made sure the pool's clean." Mickey said, breaking the sexual tension between him and Ian.

"Oh yeah? Have a maid or servant or whatever do it for you?" Lip teased.

"No, I did it myself. Fuck you very much." Mickey retorted.

"Thanks, Mick. You mind if Lip and Ian borrow swim trunks?" Mandy asked.

"Fuck if I care." Mickey muttered. 

Mandy rolled her eyes and walked out of the theater, bringing Lip with her to head upstairs and get changed into bathing suits. 

"I know you care." Ian whispered, brushing past Mickey to follow Mandy out.

"I Don't." Mickey muttered, Ian stopping dead in his tracks. 

The readhead turned around slowly and raised an eyebrow. He took a step forward to put himself in Mickey's personal space. He wanted to ravish the brunette, turn him around and fuck him into the wall. Instead Ian brought his hand on to the the opening of Mickey's shirt, watching as he made the latter shudder with the touch of his fingers against the brunette's skin.

"You really don't care?" Ian challenged, running his hand inside of the shirt over Mickey's chest and stopping over the brunette's pounding heart. "Your heart says otherwise."

"Fuck off." Mickey breathed out, pushing Ian off of him. Ian immediately walked back into the man's personal space as if he was being magnetically drawn to him.

"Let me in, Mickey. Let me show you that I'm serious about this. About us. I'll never hurt you again. I'm balanced, Mick. I promise." Ian softly pleaded, bringing his hand onto Mickey's cheek. Mickey gazed into Ian's eyes, the redhead sensing fear and uncertainty from the latter. 

"You're what I fucking need. And I know I'm what you need, too. Please, just let me in." Ian repeated. 

Mickey took a deep breath, continuing to stare into those green eyes that haunted his dreams for so many years. Ian pursed his lips, not wanting to push any further and accepting that his ex didn't seem ready to talk about it yet. As Ian started to remove his hand from the latter's cheek, Mickey reached his hand behind Ian's neck, pulling him in close and crashing his lips against the redhead's. Ian opened his eyes in shock, suddenly closing them as he felt soft lips moving against his own.

Ian wrapped his arms around Mickey's waist, pulling him in closer to eliminate any space between them. To Ian's surprise, Mickey was the one to open his mouth first, inviting Ian's tongue in. Ian reciprocated, sliding his tongue against Mickey's as their kiss deepened. Mickey raked his fingers through red hair as he walked Ian backwards, pushing him into one of the theater seats. 

Ian looked up to see Mickey ripping open his shirt, buttons popping off onto the floor. He threw the shirt to the ground, suddenly leaning forward to pull Ian's shirt off with haste. Ian felt his lust growing as he enjoyed the aggressiveness in the brunette's movements. Ian was usually the assertive one, though, he didn't mind Mickey taking control for the moment. 

Mickey got on top of Ian, straddling him as he continued to kiss the redhead hungrily. The brunette brought a hand up to the back of Ian's neck while his other hand slid down Ian's chest, stopping at his pantline. He snickered through the kiss, feeling Ian's fully hardened erection through his shorts. Mickey gently bit at Ian's bottom lip, softly tugging, before starting to slowly unbutton the redhead's shorts and sliding his hand inside. 

Ian softly moaned into the kiss as he felt Mickey's hand on his cock. "M-Mick. Maybe we should... Fuuuck.. Maybe we should stop."

Mickey began stroking Ian's dick, swiping his thumb over the slit to collect the pre-cum and continued to pump.

"Oh yeah? Really want me to stop?" Mickey challenged in a sensual whisper, Ian sighing into the touch. 

"Yes. I mean no. I mean.. Fuck. You said-"

Mickey interrupted Ian with another kiss, moving his lips down to the crook of Ian's neck. "Don't need to be in a relationship to fuck around." He muttered through kisses on Ian's neck and continuing to vigorously jack the redhead off.

"Are you sure you..uhh.. want to-"

"Shut the fuck and let me take care of that cock already." Mickey interrupted Ian by slowly trailing kisses down his chest as he pulled his hand out of the redhead's boxer briefs.

Mickey quickly moved his body off of Ian and got down on his knees, running his hands up the inside of Ian's thighs and pulling his shorts down to his ankles. He pulled Ian's throbbing cock out of the boxer briefs, licking his lips at the sight. He glanced up at Ian, smirking mischievously. The look alone nearly sent Ian over the edge, though, he was so ready to feel Mickey's perfect lips around him.

Mickey instantly took him in, pushing down as far as he could go while he wrapped his 'FUCK' hand around the base of Ian's dick to compensate for the limitation he reached due to the redhead's size. He began bobbing his head down, taking Ian in as far as he could go while pumping vigorously with his hand wrapped around him. Ian felt himself thrusting his hips forward, grabbing and tugging black hair with both hands as he felt lustful ecstasy tingling throughout his body

Mickey snickered, continuing to suck Ian down as the redhead tensed his body. He hadn't been blown like this from any of the other meaningless fucks he'd get in Chicago, Mickey always being the best he'd ever had in all aspects. Ian felt himself nearing an orgasm, gripping onto Mickey's hair even tighter. 

"Fuck. I'm gonna..fuuuck." Ian sighed as he came down Mickey's throat, the latter swallowing all of it down and sucking until he knew Ian had completely finished.

Mickey sat back, removing his mouth from Ian and taking deep breaths. Ian got out of the seat and got to his knees, bringing his hand under Mickey's chin to pull him in for a kiss. As Mickey leaned forward, pressing his body against Ian's, the redhead slid his hand down to Mickey's shorts. He unzipped and unbuttoned before slipping his hand inside of the latter's boxer briefs, wrapping his hand around Mickey's rock-hard cock and immediately stroking him.

Mickey moaned as Ian pulled away from the kiss, holding one hand to the brunette's cheek while his other hand continued jacking the latter off. Ian watched as Mickey closed his eyes to the pleasuring sensation. 

"You're so fucking hot, Mick. Fucking cum for me." Ian whispered, bringing his lips to the latter's neck and breathing heavily as he continued to pump.

Ian's words and their encounter was enough to send Mickey over the edge, causing his knees to buckle and suddenly orgasming into Ian's hand. They both remained still for a moment, panting heavily as they caught their breath. Mickey slowly opened his eyes to see Ian's green ones staring back at him.

"I missed you, Mickey." Ian said quietly. 

"We're just friends, remember?" Mickey muttered as removed Ian's hands from his pants and stood up, grabbing his shirt and putting it back on. He noticed most of the buttons were missing, but he had a hundred other shirts just like it so it didn't phase him. 

"I know. I still missed you." Ian repeated, looking up at Mickey as he also started to stand up.

Mickey sniffed and brought his hand up to his nose. "Should probably get to the pool with Lip and Mandy."

"They're probably also fucking." Ian answered matter-of-factly, Mickey letting out a small laugh knowing Ian was most likely correct. 

"Mickey?" Ian asked as he grabbed his own shirt off of the ground and put it back on, watching the brunette sit down in one of the seats.

"Yeah?"

Ian sat down beside him and turned to face the latter. "I really wanna talk about everything. You know, just explain myself and shit. We haven't gotten to actually talk about what happened and I think it's important that we do. Only if you want to."

Mickey moved his gaze straight ahead, staring mindlessly at the blank screen. He knew this was bound to happen sooner than later, but he still wasn't sure that he was ready to dive head first into some of the darkest times of his life that took years to recover from. Ian watched as Mickey battled with his thoughts, again, not wanting to push him. The redhead sat silently, letting the latter take his time to think about it. Mickey sighed heavily, running his fingers through his hair.

"Fine. After my interview tonight. It's at 6:00, so I'll be back around 8:30ish. Actually..." Mickey trailed off.

"Actually?"

"I dunno. Do uh, you wanna come with me? It's at a radio station and you can sit in the room with us or whatever while the douchebag asks me the same stupid fucking questions that everyone else always asks. You don't gotta go if you don't want to." Mickey said, trying to sound nonchalant.

Ian's eyes lit up, Mickey softly smiling at the reaction and smile that he secretly missed so much. "Absolutely! Sounds like fun!"

"Cool. You don't need to dress up since it's not gonna be aired on TV or anything. So six o'clock. I'll let Tiffany, my assistant slash manager slash fucking superhero, know you'll be joinging us."

"Sounds like a date." Ian teased, grinning as Mickey rolled his eyes.

"Plan." Mickey corrected, chuckling with Ian as they both got up to head to the brunette's room and change into swimming attire. As Ian followed Mickey, he couldn't help but smile. For the first time in years, he was finally starting to feel alive again.


	14. Risk Everything Tonight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Scarlet by In This Moment

"You look unusually chipper." Tiffany commented as she drove Mickey to his meeting for the TV series.

"Fuck off. No I don't." Mickey retorted, moving his gaze out the window so she couldn't see him.

"Ah huh. Have anything to do with a certain redhead back at your place?" Tiffany asked, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow above her sunglasses. 

"Jesus - No. How bout you mind your fuckin' business?"

"That ship sailed years ago when your business became my business as well as the world's."

"My business is not the world's business." Mickey snapped.

"Alright. Yet, I have been seeing pictures floating around the internet with you and Ian at a club and then of course you're always in magazines and such. Still wanna tell me how your business isn't currently a free for all?"

Mickey turned to face her. "What are you getting at here?"

"My point is that, yes, date who you want. Fuck who you want. Christ, go fucking wild for all I care. But you need to be aware of your surroundings and _who's_ watching you. If you didn't want people to know about Ian, you keep that shit private. Otherwise, your business is public and is easily accessible." Tiffany explained.

"So don't take him to the goddamn interview, is what you're saying."

"No, you drama queen. That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is to be aware and make sure that you're ready for a public relationship. I also suggest not relaying that Ian was the guy who emotionally damaged you or else he's going to get eaten alive by hardcore fans and it might make you look-"

"Tiff, I don't care how I look. We're not even 'together' yet. I know what I'm doing and if people wanna snap some pictures of me out at a public club and make up whatever bogus story that we both know they fucking get off on doing, then so be it. I'm comfortable enough with where I'm at in my career to not let stupid shit like that affect me."

Tiffany smiled softly before turning her gaze back to the road. "I'm really fucking proud of you. Hope you know that."

Mickey moved his gaze back out the window sheepishly. He found it difficult to respond to any sort of commendation even after all these years. It made him uncomfortable, always thinking in the back of his head all the times Terry would verbally abuse him, separate from the physical abuse. It was always something that Mickey knew he would think about, never getting any easier with time passing. He brushed the thoughts away as he saw the production studio. 

"Alright. Remember to smile. This is a huge opportunity. I know you said you wanted to take a break from movies but this is something out of your comfort zone. Who knows, you might really like the pitch."

Mickey snickered to himself. "You know you've made it when a director and producer requests you specifically and pitches the idea to you in hopes you'll end up auditioning. Jesus." 

Tiffany let out a small laugh and grinned as they both got out of the car. They walked into the bustling studio, people running around and everything fast paced as usual. Tiffany walked to the front desk to find the receptionist looking down at her phone. Tiffany rolled her eyes and cleared her throat obnoxiously, the receptionist looking up at her immediately. 

"Hi there. What can I do for- oh, um, hi Mickey." The receptionist blushed and Mickey chuckled, waving to her.

"You gonna gush over my client all day or are you gonna let Mr. Jackson know we're here for the 12:30 meeting." Tiffany pressed in her usual bitchy tone, the receptionist fumbling for the phone as she nervously dialed the producer's extension.

"Jackson?" Mickey whispered as Tiffany nodded with a grin. 

"Curtis Jackson." She replied.

"Wait... like, the rapper? 50 Cent?"

"Yup. He worked on that show Power and a bunch of other things."

"No shit? Well, this is pretty fucking cool, not gonna lie." Mickey whispered.

"And just think, he requested _you._ Please think about it before you turn it down. I have no idea what the offer is going to be like but maybe sleep on it. Never know when you'll get another opportunity like this again, you know?"

Mickey nodded, feeling excitement rush over him. The receptionist hung up the phone and stood up.

"Mr. Jackson is ready for you. Right this way." She said as she lead the way to the producer's office.

Once they arrived to the office, the receptionist knocked, Curtis immediately opening the door to greet them. 

"Hey there. Curtis Jackson." The producer introduced himself as he held out his hand, Mickey shaking it first before Tiffany.

Mickey couldn't stop smiling, remembering the days he'd bump to 50 Cent when he was growing up. Curtis smiled humbly, stepping aside to let them into his office. As Mickey and Tiffany sat down, Curtis pulled out a folder and placed it on his desk before sitting back in his seat.

"So, Mickey, you're a pretty popular dude right now. I've seen your work and thought to myself, wow, this kid's got talent. Before we get started, can I get you guys anything? Soda or coffee?"

"No thanks." Mickey answered for the both of them. "Can I just say how fucking.. Yikes, sorry. I meant, how _freaking_ cool it is to be meeting with you right now. I love your music and for you to like my work is probably the coolest shit... Fuck... I mean-"

Curtis laughed. "You're correcting your language around a rapper. I've heard it before." He teased as Mickey blushed and stopped talking.

"See, you've got a certain charisma about you that I can speak for everyone else when I say you've just got _it,_ whatever it is. So let's get down to business."

"Alright, what's the genre?" Mickey asked sheepishly, still trying recover from his embarrassment.

"Crime and drama. You'd be the main character, a cop in the crime capital of the world, which is...?" Curtis asked, testing the brunette. 

"I'm guessing Detroit?"

"Excellent. Yes, Detroit. Your character gets shot as well as his entire family for busting a major drug deal with some wanted criminals. Everyone dies except for you. The wanted criminals who _thought_ they killed you flea while you end up recovering fully and turn against the law enforcement, sort of becoming a crooked cop. Basically, you're picking off the guys that killed your family one by one until you've killed them all and cover up the murders so that no one knows it was you."

Mickey nodded slowly, "Badass. So I'm sort of like the Punisher, right?"

Curtis nodded. "Precisely. We're planning the first season to be definite once we get the green light, and depending on how well it goes there's potential for more seasons in the future. So what do you think?"

Mickey inhaled, contemplating whether or not he should go for it. A break would be nice, and everything going on with Ian could potentially distract him. But, he really liked the plot and he liked the fact that 50 Cent was the one producing the show. Mickey glanced at Tiffany who rubbed her fingers together indicating to ask about money.

"So what would the pay be like?"

"Glad you asked." Curtis laughed out, pulling out a piece of paper from the folder and circling the number. Mickey glanced at it and immediately widened his eyes.

"Are you fucking serious? That's per episode?" Mickey asked. 

"Per episode." Curtis confirmed. 

"Wow. Jesus, that's - wow. Um, let me chat with Tiffany about it." Mickey said, totally shocked about how much money they were offering. 

"Absolutely. You don't need to give me an answer right now, either. Think it over and let me know tomorrow. Just remember, you _deserve_ that sort of pay. You're one of the best in the industry right now so we knew we needed to give you an offer that matches your talents." Curtis said genuinely. "I hope you join this project. We'd be more than thrilled to have you. Let me know."

Mickey grinned, "I definitely will let you know by tomorrow. Thank you so much for having me. It's still surreal for me to be meeting you right now."

"Likewise. Talk soon." Curtis said with a smile as he shook Mickey's hand and lead them out of his office.

Once they left the studio and made it to Tiffany's car, she glanced at Mickey. "So how much?"

"Close to a mil per episode. I really can't turn that down, Tiff. Plus, the storyline is pretty badass." Mickey said as he pulled out his phone to text Ian, letting him know he was on the way.

"Jesus Christ. That's insane. You really wanna do it?" Tiffany asked as she stopped the car in bumper to bumper traffic.

"I really am thinking about doing it. I'm just kind of worried it might interfere with _things..."_ Mickey trailed off.

"Ex boyfriend kind of things?" Tiffany asked, Mickey sighing and ignoring her. "Look, you don't gotta take it. But do it for you, not for anyone else. If you want it, go for it. If you don't, then don't. But please make this decision for yourself and not for anyone else." 

Mickey sniffed before turning his gaze out the window, carefully taking in her words. She was right whether he wanted to admit it or not. He suddenly found himself lost in thought, contemplating major decisions. 

Before he knew it, they were back home, Mickey feeling like time skipped forward. He headed inside as Tiffany drove off, moving right towards the kitchen to grab a snack and finding everyone already in there.

"Hey, movie star. What's the gig this time?" Mandy asked, biting into an apple while standing soaking wet next to the kitchen island.

"Fucking dry off before you drip all over the goddamn place." Mickey scolded as his sister flipped him off and walked away to go back out to the pool, Lip following behind.

"How'd it go?" Ian asked genuinely.

"Really well, actually. I think I'm gonna do it."

Ian smiled with excitement. "That's awesome, Mick. I'm really happy for you."

Mickey blushed as he walked to the fridge to pull out a yogurt. "Thanks." He muttered.

Ian wrapped his arms around the brunette from behind, causing the latter to flinch at the unexpected touch. 

"I'm excited for tonight, too. For the radio show, our talk, I dunno. Things just feel like they're starting to fall into place."

Mickey pulled away from Ian's hold and stared blankly at him. "You realize you're only here for one more night, right?"

Ian sighed. "I told you before and I'll tell you again. I'm not giving up on us. I need you to trust that. We'll figure things out when I have to go back, but for now can we please just live in the moment?"

Mickey continued to hold his gaze to Ian's, wishing he had the right words to say right now. Wishing he could say how he felt but knew he couldn't give in. He still needed to heal from the emotional scars Ian left on him, damage that would need reparing for a long time. For now, he would live in the moment in hopes that Ian was serious. 

"I trust you, Gallagher. Don't make me regret it."


	15. If I Lose Myself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Warning***
> 
> This chapter includes mention of suicidal thoughts but does not go into detail. 
> 
> As another note, the host of the radio/internet show is made up.
> 
>  
> 
> Song:
> 
> If I Lose Myself by One Republic

"Hello hello! Freddy Gajnos here in the studio along with the one and only Mickey Milkovich! Mickey, it's been such a beautiful day here in sunny LA. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Absolutely, Freddy. We've been out by the pool practically all day." Mickey replied as he adjusted the headphones and mic, glancing at Ian who was sitting in a chair off to the side.

"Nice! Hey, he's got a familiar face. Isn't that your sisters boyfriend? Ian, right?" Freddy asked, Ian immediately looking down at his phone to hide his smirk.

"Nah. Ian's um, well, he's actually visiting LA for me. He's mine and Mandy's friend." Mickey answered. Ian slowly brought his gaze up to Mickey who quickly glanced at him with uncertainty.

"Ah, I see. Gotta love the paparazzi twisting everything. Now, is he a friend from back home in Chicago?"

"Yup." Mickey answered. 

"And weren't you two photographed at the club the other night?" Mickey blushed, looking down as Freddy smirked. "Hmm... Seems to me he might be a little bit more than a friend, perhaps?"

"We hang out." Mickey answered vaguely. 

"That's cool. I've gotta chick that I just 'hang out' with, too." Freddy teased as Mickey nervously took a sip of the glass of water on the table. "Nah, that's awesome man. After watching your recent interviews and you opening up about your past relationship, I'm glad that you can still find happiness even while you're healing. Sucks to be the guy that broke your heart, am I right?" 

Mickey choked on his water as Ian slapped the palm of his hand onto his forehead, dropping his head lower this time. Freddy furrowed his brow at their reactions, eyes suddenly widening in realization.

"Wait, he isn't... Is he?" Freddy asked, Mickey sheepishly covering his mouth as he leaned his elbow on the table. "Well, good for you either way. He's a good looking guy, I don't blame you!"

"You hitting on my guy?" Mickey joked, removing his hand from his mouth and Ian's face burning red by the second.

"So he _is_ your guy?" Freddy asked.

"Plead the Fifth. Next question." 

Freddy let out a small laugh. "Alright, I'm done bustin' your chops."

"Thank Christ." Mickey laughed out, continuing on with the interview. 

Unlike past interviews, this one intrigued Mickey. Freddy asked him great questions, ones that haven't been asked a million times. It made Mickey actually think while answering which he appreciated.

Ian watched them talk, admiring Mickey's expressions change per question and answer. The redhead enjoyed watching Mickey, for obvious reasons, but also because this was part of Mickey's life now. He loved how passionate the brunette was whilst giving his answers, an unfamiliar side of Mickey that Ian could definitely get used to seeing. That is, until Freddy asked the one question that Mickey has answered before and hated it every single time.

"Now, I've heard you briefly touch on your childhood in some interviews. But I've never heard anything about your mother. Was she supportive of your career choice?" Freddy asked, Ian swallowing hard as he could sense the rooted anger inside of Mickey. 

"Don't know. She fucked off when my siblings and I were younger. We don't really talk about her because there isn't much to say. Fuck, can I say fuck? Fuck.. sorry." Mickey stumbled on his words, Freddy smiling half-heartedly.

"It's cool, man. It's going on the internet and not mainstream radio stations, so no worries. You say siblings. I didn't know you had any other siblings besides Mandy?"

"Yeah, we have other brothers. But again, we don't really talk to them. They also pretty much fucked off and never spoke to us again even before me moving to LA." Mickey answered, taking another sip of his water trying to hold back his emotions.

"That's too bad. They're really missing out on such awesome people like you and your sister. Their loss." Freddy answered as Mickey shrugged. 

"Alright, last question before I let you go."

"Shoot." Mickey answered, anticipating the question.

"What's next for you?" Freddy asked, Mickey exhaling in relief that it wasn't another question about his fucked up family.

"Well, can't say too much. But I actually just agreed to sign onto a new TV show ten minutes before coming here. Taking a break from movies."

"That's exciting! Can you tell us anything about it? Anything at all?" Freddy asked.

"It's gonna be badass and Curtis Jackson is a producer. That's all you get." Mickey answered teasingly. 

"I love 50 Cent. It's still so crazy to me that the dude was shot nine times and still lives to tell the tale. Now look at him and how big he got. Love that guy."

"So crazy. I thought getting shot in the leg was gonna kill me. Shit hurts!" Mickey joked, Freddy widening his eyes. 

"You've been shot?"

"A few times, actually. Back when I was a delinquent in the Southside of Chicago." Mickey laughed humorlessly.

"No shit."

"Shit." Mickey confirmed with a grin.

"Damn. I wish we had more time. I'd love to talk more about that. Maybe next time. Anyway, Mickey, it's been a pleasure having you and meeting with you. Thanks for taking the time to chat!"

"Not a problem, man. Thanks for asking interesting questions! See ya around." Mickey said as he took off the headphones and stood up. "You ready?" He asked, looking at Ian.

The redhead nodded as they left the studio, Tiffany waiting outside to bring them home.

*****************************

As they walked inside of the house, Mickey furrowed his brow noticing Mandy and Lip were gone. Ian grinned, nodding over to the kitchen. The latter followed behind Ian, suddenly smelling something delicious. On the island, there had been an entire steak dinner placed out, Mickey glancing at it and then back to the redhead.

"What's this?" Mickey asked with confusion.

"Well, I may have foggy memories of our past but I didn't forget this. Remember that night when we were supposed to have our first date until-"

"Course I remember _that_ night. Fuck that bitch for what she did to you, by the way. Hope she's enjoying prison, fucking piece of shit." Mickey sneered, Ian placing a gentle hand on Mickey's arm.

"Easy, Mick. She's not my focus. My focus was the date."

Mickey took a deep breath, dismissing the thoughts the best he could and glancing back over at the island. Then it suddenly clicked.

"Steak so rare... Holy shit, Gallagher. You're trying to recreate our date."

Ian grinned. "Figured it would be a little crazy going out in public and having your loyal followers bombard us, so I had Mandy and Lip set this up while we were gone that way we can finally have our date and talk things over. They're also gonna be out for the night and staying at the hotel with Carl which means it'll be just us. Unless you want them to pick me up, then I can stay at the hotel with them."

"You really did all this?" Mickey whispered with soft eyes.

"Yeah. If you think it's lame or whatever I totally get it. I also don't know where you usually eat which is why I told Mandy to leave it here to have you decide where you wanna-"

Ian was interrupted by Mickey's lips pressing against his, Ian smiling into the kiss. The brunette brought his hand to Ian's cheek, gently pulling away from the kiss.

"I don't think it's lame. I want you to stay." Mickey said quietly. 

"Are you sure?" Ian asked

Mickey nodded causing the redhead to smile sincerely. Ian also nodded, kissing Mickey's forhead the way the brunette used to kiss him. The redhead pulled away and walked towards the prepared dinner, looking up at Mickey. 

"Made sure your steak was, and I quote, 'still mooing'. Disgusting." Ian winced as Mickey raised his eyebrows up and down.

"Missing out, Firecrotch."

Mickey grabbed his plate along with a beer and Ian followed him out to what was a living room on steroids. It had a giant flat screen TV along with the nicest sectional couch Ian had ever laid eyes on, assuming he'd gone broke just by looking at it. There was a tall swanky table with two chairs off to the side where Mickey placed down his plate and beer, Ian following suit.

"I'm sure I don't have to say this for you to know, but your house is fucking insane." Ian said as he started to cut his steak, Mickey chuckling. 

"That's what money buys." Mickey answered, taking a swig of his beer.

"So." Ian said, placing his knife and fork down as Mickey lowered the beer bottle to look at the redhead.

"So." Mickey answered.

"First, I just want to apologize for-"

"Not what I want from you, Gallagher. I want answers. I know you're sorry. So tell me why you left me."

Ian swallowed hard before clearing his throat. "It's hard to explain to someone who doesn't know how I felt."

"Try me." Mickey pressed, taking another swig.

"I felt like everyone wanted me to be this person that I just wasn't. Fiona, Lip.... Even you. Imagine thinking you know who you are for so long, like, you're entire life you think you know who you are. Then out of no where, everything you once knew about yourself disappears but everyone thinks you're the same person. That's sort of how I felt, but I wish I could explain this better because you deserve that much. So bear with me." Ian paused, looking at Mickey who raised his eyebrows indicating Ian to continue.

"Having to take medication to function, to just simply live your life, was the hardest thing to swallow. You sacrificed so much for me and it killed me. It killed me because I knew I could never give you that in return. I thought I was always going to be a project to you, thinking I could never have the strength to build you up when or if you needed me."

"Ian, I didn't think you were a project or whatever the fuck you just said. I loved you, I cared about you, and I had no idea how to make sure I could keep you happy and safe. I had no idea what depression or Bipolar disorder was. I know you told me about your mom having it, but it wasn't real for me until it actually happened to you. Me, Fiona, Lip, all of us, we just wanted you to be okay. We were doing our best to care for you because we were worried. You did some pretty off the wall shit, how was I not supposed to care or worry? You weren't a project, you were someone who needed help for a minute."

"I know." Ian answered, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. "I know. At the time, it just felt like you were hovering over me and trying to force me to be something I'm not. I realize what you and everyone else did in retrospect, only trying to help me. But I was too sick back then to see it and understand. Imagine being told you're never going to be the same person again unless you take medication which may or may not work. It was very frightening and overwhelming."

"I know. I think the same now as I did back then, that you're so brave. I couldn't imagine being told that and having to take medication for the rest of my life just to be _me._ You're really fucking strong for coping with that. Now look at you, balanced and happy."

Ian opened his eyes and shook his head slowly. "Not happy. When you left after Fiona and Lip helped you get out of the whole trying to kill Sammi thing, I felt like a part of me died. I was a walking corpse with no direction. Even meds couldn't heal me. It fucking hurt when you just left me like that, Mick. You were always there for me and then you abandoned me like Monica did." Ian said, Mickey instantly narrowing his eyes clearly aggravated.

"What the fuck was I supposed to do? You broke up with me. You don't think that didn't fucking ruin me? Well it did. It fucked me up to the point where I couldn't even be touched unless I was fucking some random to try and forget about you!" Mickey raised his voice, emotions bubbling inside of him ready to boil.

"I fucking know, Mickey! I fucked up and I can't take it back, which is why I'm here! I wanted to talk things over so that we could move forward and maybe start over. But I'm the same goddamn way you are. I fucking work at a diner under 20 hours a week, still live at home, smoke my fucking life away, and just fucking exist without a purpose anymore. My meds are balanced, but I'm just as fucking emotionally damaged as you are. I've even thought about.." Ian trailed off, taking a deep breath to try and hold back more anger and tears.

Mickey stared at the redhead blankly, anger suddenly diminishing. Ian stared back at him silently. 

"So have I." Mickey confessed, looking off to the side to avoid eye contact.

Ian's heart immediately dropped. He thought it was painful when Mickey left, but this was the most painful thing he'd ever heard. The thought of living in a world where Mickey didn't exist was unbearable.

"Mick... I had no idea..." 

Mickey looked back at Ian with tears welling in his eyes. He sniffed, biting them back, and running his fingers through his dark hair. "You were the only person who was ever there for me. The only one who gave a shit. Even now, these people don't know me. They don't actually care. They only care because I'm famous. But you, you just loved me so fucking much. Even when I hadn't accepted who I was, all you wanted was to be with me. I fucking pushed you away but you kept coming back. To this day, I still don't understand it and I don't think I ever will. Then hearing that change all of a sudden after years of having you love me, it... I couldn't take it. I expected it from Terry. I expected it from everyone else. But not from you."

Ian moved his gaze to the floor, feeling guilty. Mickey sniffed as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"You were supposed to be there for me, Ian. Through thick and thin and all that shit. I couldn't comprehend how someome who said they loved me so much just suddenly stopped. It made me hate myself for not being better. Not trying harder. Not being good enough, reminding me that I was just a piece of trash like everyone else thought I was."

Ian immediately got off his chair to wrap his arms around Mickey, letting the latter cry into his shoulder. Ian ran his fingers through Mickey's hair, inhaling his scent as he held him.

"I'm so fucking sorry, Mick. I'm so fucking sorry," Ian whispered. "You're everything to me. You always have been. I lost sight of myself for a second but I'm here now. And I'm never abandoning you ever again. I'm just so fucking sorry for damaging you, Mickey."

Mickey stayed in Ian's arms for what felt like a lifetime, for once being the one who needed caring for. Ian was ready to step up to the plate, knowing he was responsible for the brunette's sorrows. He vowed to himself that he'd never leave Mickey's side, no matter how tough things would get. He never wanted Mickey to feel this way again and he knew he would do everything he could to make sure of that. 

After a few moments of the latter finally catching his breath, he glanced up at Ian as he sniffed and gently nudged the redhead off of him.

"Fuck. I'm sorry for crying." Mickey muttered, completely vulnerable and wiping his face with his arm.

"Don't apologize. It's my fault," Ian said, walking back to his chair to sit and look at the brunette. "Never again, Mickey."

"What, cry?" Mickey asked with confusion. 

"No. I'm never leaving you or hurting you again. I'll do whatever it takes to put the pieces back together because it's my mistake to fix. Will you let me do that for you?" Ian asked, sincerity on his face.

Mickey stared into Ian's eyes, for the first time ever, seeing fire burning in them. Ian's eyes weren't filled with uncertainty or regret, they were filled with fight. And the fight was all for Mickey. The brunette took a deep breath before he closed his eyes.

"We give this one more shot, Ian. If it doesn't work, then that's it. I really want this to work so fucking bad, but I'm terrified. And if you ever repeat that, I'll fucking punch you in the face."

Ian softly chuckled and shook his head, feeling the tension between them start to ease. They both got off their chairs, immediately wrapping their arms around one another. Ian rested his chin against Mickey's head, never wanting this moment to end. For now, losing himself in Mickey was all he needed and he knew Mickey felt the same.


	16. Letters From The Sky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Letters From The Sky by Civil Twilight

Ian's eyes slowly fluttered open, feeling strong arms wrapped around his waist in the most comfortable bed he'd ever slept in. His lumpy full sized bed wasn't the slightest bit comparable to Mickey's California king. 

He smiled to himself, finally being able to wake up in Mickey's arms the way he used to. It was a comfortable and natural feeling; like it was always meant to be. Like it was fate that they'd find eachother again, back in one another's arms. He felt Mickey start to move behind him, Ian turning on his side to face the latter.

"Morning," Ian whispered. Mickey smirked at the redhead, Ian instantly furrowing his brow. "What?"

"You talk in your sleep. I've never heard you do that before." Mickey answered in amusement.

"What'd I say?" Ian asked sheepishly.

"Oh, just that I'm the sexiest man on earth and how I have a huge dick."

Ian froze in place, staring wide-eyed at the brunette and feeling mortified for saying that. Mickey suddenly let out a laugh and Ian sighed in relief. 

"Jesus, I thought you were serious you jackass. And we both know my dick's bigger." Ian teased, taking a pillow and hitting Mickey with it.

Mickey grabbed the pillow and wrapped his arms around it, facial expression turning serious as Ian sat up.

"I'm serious, though. You actually were talking in your sleep. Worried about your mom or something?" Mickey asked.

"I was talking about Monica?" Ian asked, voice sounding upset.

"Yeah. Said something about wanting her to come back or whatever. She off on a bender again?" Mickey asked.

"No she's uh.. She sort of passed a few years ago." Ian answered, getting out of the bed and walking towards the window.

Mickey inhaled through his nose, raking his fingers through his hair before exhaling. "I'm really sorry, Ian. I had no idea..."

"Don't be." Ian answered quietly as he gazed out the window mindlessly.

"What happened?" Mickey asked, sitting up in the bed and watching Ian intently. 

As Ian was about to answer, his phone went off. He sighed and grabbed the phone, seeing it was Lip. 

"Yo." Ian answered.

"Hey. Lip's in the shower and my phone died which is why I'm using his phone. Is Mick available?" Mandy asked, voice sounding frazzled.

Ian covered the phone and looked to Mickey. "Mandy wants to talk to you." He whispered. 

"Tell her I've fallen and can't get up." Mickey teased, laying back down in the bed.

Ian rolled his eyes. "He's still sleeping."

"No he's fucking not. Give the phone to him, it's important." Mandy urged.

Ian stepped closer to Mickey, handing him the phone. "She said it's important." 

Mickey grumbled, muttering profanities before grabbing the phone from Ian. "The fucking queen of England better be at your doorstep to be waking me up-"

"Terry called me." Mandy interrupted.

Mickey went completely rigid, muscles tensing and his grip around the phone tightening. He remained silent as Mandy went on.

"He wanted us to visit and apparently apologize for shit. Guess he has stage four brain cancer and thought he could make it up to us before he kicks it."

Ian furrowed his brow as he watched Mickey's entire body immediately tense. He sat beside the brunette, putting a hand on the latter's knee. Mickey sniffed, bringing his hand up to his nose in frustration.

"Mick, you there?" Mandy asked.

"Yeah." He answered short.

"Are you gonna go?" Mandy asked.

"No."

"Mick, he's dying-"

"Is this even a real fucking conversation right now? Are you out of your goddamn mind?"

"No one deserves to be alone when they die." Mandy said softly, Mickey hearing her hold back tears.

"Are you..." Mickey let out a humorless laugh. "Mandy, he deserves the shit beneath my fucking shoes. He wasn't a father to you, to me, to any of us. He was an abusive piece of shit that cared about nothing but himself. He deserves to fucking rot."

"Please, Mick. If you're not gonna go for him, will you at least go for me? I don't have Ig or Colin's numbers so I can't call them. I need you. Please." Mandy pleaded.

Mickey exhaled heavily, rubbing his fingers against his temple. He never wanted to see Terry again after the endless physical and emotional abuse he'd put them all through. Mickey closed his eyes before answering.

"He out on medical furlough?" Mickey asked.

"He was at the Danville Correctional Center and they moved him out to some hospice place also in Danville once they found out he had terminal cancer. He had a nurse there help him call me, but he's too weak to really talk so she did most of the speaking for him. They said he probably won't make it through the week."

"So if he's too weak to talk then why the fuck would I fly my ass out to Illinois and how do you know he even wants us there?" Mickey retorted.

"Before he got too weak to talk, he said he wanted to see us and apologize for everything. Then his nurse got on the phone and explained everything. I already bumped our flights to early this afternoon instead of tomorrow morning and I bought you a ticket in hopes that you'd come. Please, Mick. I'm begging you. This is for me, not for him."

Mickey let out another aggravated sigh. Ian began rubbing the latter's knee in comfort, hearing some of the conversation and knowing enough that it wasn't good.

"Fine. But _only_ for you. And we need to make this discrete as possible. I don't need a fuckin' fan club following us out. You're not leaving the hotel before we had to LAX, right?"

"Nope." Mandy answered.

"Good. We'll be there soon." 

"Mick?" Mandy asked.

"Yeah?" 

"Thank you. For everything." 

Mickey sniffed before answering, "That's what family's for." 

He lowered the phone from his ear and ended the call, looking up at Ian with vexation in his eyes as he handed the redhead his phone.

"What's going on?" Ian asked, wrapping his arm around the brunette.

"Fucking Terry's dying and Mandy wants to go make nicey nice with him before he dies. Don't understand why but I'm definitely not talking to that motherfucker. I'm only going for her. But I was wondering..." Mickey trailed off, taking a deep breath and rubbing his eyes.

"Mick, it's okay to be sad about it. He may have been a piece of shit, but he was your father. I of all people understand."

Mickey nodded, holding back his emotions and swallowing them down. He exhaled before speaking, "I was wondering if you'd come with me. Mands needs me but I... Well, I need _you."_ He confessed, staring into Ian's eyes.

"Of course. I'll always be there when you need me, Mick. Although, Terry and I may have gotten off on the wrong foot-"

"Shut the fuck up." Mickey interrupted with a chuckle, Ian smiling softly.

"Let's pack our shit and get ready. You're staying with us when we're back in Illinois, by the way." Ian said.

"Doesn't Fiona want to roast my fuckin' balls by now or something?"

"Probably." Ian answered matter-of-factly.

"Jesus." Mickey muttered, shaking his head at the thought as he got up to start packing some clothes and things.

As Mickey was packing, Ian grabbed the bag he brought over and sat on the comfortable cloud of a bed. He pulled out his phone and saw he had a missed call from an unknown number along with a voicemail. He furrowed his brow, not remembering hearing it ring. He brought the phone up to his ear to listen. 

"Hi, this message is for Ian Gallagher. My name's Tyler Croft and I represent a talent agency. If you could give me a call back at your earliest convenience, that would be great. I'd like to discuss an opportunity with you. Thanks."

Ian froze, unsure of what to make of the message. He replayed it again, making sure he heard everything correctly the first time around. To his confusion mixed with excitement, he did. He lowered the phone and googled the name to make sure it was legit, and it was. Ian's eyes widened, feeling his heart race as he looked at the number once more on his phone. He glanced up at a very flustered Mickey, reeling in his excitement momentarily as he was supposed to be there emotionally for the latter. He saved the message, waiting for this Terry bullshit to blow over before bringing it up to Mickey not wanting to overwhelm him.

****************************

"Anyone see you guys?" Lip asked as he was getting his suitcase together.

"No. Have no idea how we pulled that off but no one saw us." Mickey confirmed, looking out the hotel window and not seeing people waiting outside surprisingly.

"Shawna said there's some boy band that's been around lately so maybe your fan club hopped on their dicks instead." Carl said, Mickey shrugging in response.

"One could hope," Mickey answered quietly, turning to look at Ian who had a mixture of emotions on his face. "You alright? You seem kinda, I dunno, weird? But not in a bad way.. Unless that sounds bad.. Fuck, I'm sorry. I suck at-"

"I'm perfectly fine, Mick. And you don't suck." Ian answered, kissing the latter on the cheek and throwing on a baseball cap and sunglasses to disguise himself.

"So you two are back together?" Carl asked, Mandy zipping up her suitcase and looking up at her brother with a soft smile.

"None of your fuckin' business is what we are." Mickey retorted, Ian shaking his head in amusement.

"Jesus. I feel hella deja vu right now." Carl muttered while grabbing his own suitcase and throwing on a sweatshirt, pulling up the hood.

"You sure you're gonna survive the slums of Chicago without Fuji water?" Lip teased to Mickey, the brunette holding up his middle finger in response as he took a dramatic swig of his Fiji water.

"Ay, fuck you. I could still run the fucking Southside if I wanted to. And it's Fiji water not _Fuji,_ jackass." Mickey answered.

"We'll see about that." Lip retorted through a snicker, walking towards the door.

"Alright everyone. Heads down and no speaking to any paparazzi if we get randomly bombarded. Wanna get to the airport as quick as possible. Let's get this shit over with." Mandy said, everyone nodding and Bruce escorting them out the door to the SUV that was waiting to drive them to LAX.

Once they finally arrived to the airport and sat down to wait for their flight to board, Ian pulled out his phone to stare at the phone number again. He glanced over at Mickey who was sitting beside him, face looking distressed as he stared mindlessly off into the distance. The redhead put the phone back in his pocket, reminded once more that for the next few days he would dedicate all his energy and time to the latter who seemed like he truly needed it. Ian moved his hand to Mickey's, interlocking his fingers with the latter's.

Mickey came back to reality, moving his gaze to Ian's and smiling softly. Ian knew that Mickey would never admit that he wasn't _completely_ okay right now, but he'd be there for him regardless. A sudden flash of light broke their peaceful moment, Mickey releasing Ian's hand and looking to find where the flash came from. There was a teenage girl with purple hair holding up her phone and taking a picture of them.

"Yo, that's not cool." Ian said, Mandy shooting a glare at him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I just.. ahh! I love Mickey and I watched him on YouTube with Freddy Gajnos last night for that radio show and you guys are too fucking cute! I'm so sorry to be a weirdo for just taking a picture of you but do you guys think I can take a picture with you both? My life would seriously be made."

Ian turned his gaze to Mickey who was faking a smile, a smile that Ian could understand having to get used to as part of the job. Mickey nodded and stood up.

"Sure." He answered as the girl squealed with excitement. 

Ian stood up, still amused that people actually got this way over famous people. He thought to himself that he and Mickey and everyone else were just normal people, yet the fans looked at them otherwise. He couldn't help but think about the voicemail before quickly shrugging it away, standing beside a stranger who was more than thrilled to take a picture with him.

"Mandy, could I get a picture with you too? This is seriously the best day of my life!" The girl exclaimed, Mandy also faking a smile through her emotional turmoil and stood up to take a picture with the girl. 

Once the girl finally left, their flight was ready to board. Mandy, Lip and Carl were seated to the right side as Ian and Mickey were seated to the left, of course in first class. Ian wanted the window seat, not being used to flying which Mickey happily complied to the request, hating the view per his fear of heights. 

Mickey started to put his headphones on, Ian turning to him to interrupt momentarily. "Hey, I have a question."

"I have an answer. Unless it's something stupid, then I don't have time to answer stupid fucking questions." Mickey teased with a smile that was genuine, Ian feeling his heart melt at the sight thinking how he could watch the brunette smile for the rest of his days. He suddenly snapped out of it and went back to being serious. 

"You believe in fate?" Ian asked, Mickey furrowing his brow.

"What, you mean like 'everything happens for a reason' type of shit?"

"Yeah. Do you believe that everything happens for a reason and that we're all destined for something, whether we know what it is or not? But wherever life takes us is exactly where we're supposed to be to set us on course for whatever the universe and shit has planned. You believe in any of that?"

Mickey raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I'm not following where your Ghandi ass is taking this. Yeah, I believe in purpose and that things happen for a reason, but where is this coming from?" Mickey asked, feeling the airplane beginning to move.

"Mick, I didn't want to say anything yet because I know you're going through some shit and this is about you and not me. But I got a voicemail from a Tyler Croft this morning saying he's a talent agent and wanted to discuss an opportunity with me."

Mickey's eyes lit up, momentarily forgetting about the shit storm waiting for him in Illinois. "Ian, that's awesome! I know Tyler pretty well, he's the real deal. He's an acting scout. Are you interested?"

Ian exhaled in relief, happy to see a positive response from the latter. "Yeah, I mean, I've never acted before. Shit, I don't know where to even begin. But I was just nervous to bring it up with everything going on-"

Mickey brought his hand up to Ian's cheek, interrupting him with a soft kiss. He pulled away gently, staring into Ian's eyes. "Don't ever feel like you need to hold anything back from me. Terry's a piece of shit, first of all, so you're not interrupting my 'mourning'. Secondly, your happiness is now my happiness. We _are_ giving this another shot, after all."

Ian smiled, nodding before kissing Mickey again. 

"Get a room!" Carl teased, both Ian and Mickey holding up their middle fingers to him, continuing to kiss as the plane picked up speed and lifted off the ground to take them back to Chicago. As the plane made it off the ground and got higher, Ian felt himself getting higher, too. A feeling that no drug or any other person could give him. It was a feeling that he only got when he was with Mickey, forever craving more.


	17. Everlong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Everlong by the Foo Fighters

"What the fuck, guys! You fucking left me home alone with Fiona and you take _Carl_ instead?" Debbie yelled at her brothers as they walked through the front door while Mandy and Mickey were getting their bags out of the car. Debbie squinted, looking at the Milkovich siblings skeptically. "Is that Mickey?"

"Yup. Ian's hittin' that again." Carl answered as he went upstairs, Ian rolling his eyes and sighing.

Debbie giggled, covering her mouth to hold in laughter as her anger diminished. "Fi's gonna be pissed."

"Fiona doesn't get to say shit about it." Ian snapped, dropping his bag on the floor and going outside to help Mickey.

Debbie turned to Lip, "He really got back with Mickey?" 

"Indeed," Lip answered, looking around the room. "Hey, where's Liam? Don't tell me Frank took him out again."

"Alright. I won't tell you Frank took him out again." Debbie answered, Lip rolling his eyes in response.

"Jesus, Debs. Stop letting Frank take him."

"Maybe if you took me to LA I could remember to not let Liam leave with Frank."

"Christ. I don't have time for your teenage angst today, alright? And for fucks sake, please don't whine to Mickey or Mandy. They're having a rough time right now." Lip said, looking out the window to see them all talking next to the car.

"What could possibly be so rough when you're a celebrity?" Debbie asked. 

"They're only back here so they can see Terry. He's got stage four brain cancer and for some weird demented reason, Mandy wants to see him before he dies. So Ian and I are going with them for support. Then they're flying back to LA once Terry kicks it."

Debbie furrowed her brow, "We are talking about Terry Milkovich, right? Same Terry who raped Mandy on multiple occasions and made Mickey fuck a prostitute at gun point because-"

"Fuck, yes, Debs. Please don't mention any of that shit. Where's Fi? At the diner?"

Debbie nodded, Lip sighing in response and going outside to help them with their bags.

"Alright, Fi isn't home yet. You guys get settled, I'm gonna run to the diner and talk to her so it isn't such a shock to see _two_ Milkoviches standing in the kitchen or whatever." Lip said, pulling out a cigarette and taking a drag.

"Can I come with you? Would really like to walk. I'm tired of everyone driving me around and being constantly followed. Atleast we know fans would be too scared to get stabbed or robbed to come out this deep in the Southside." Mandy joked, everyone nodding in agreement.

"Sure. Fi already knows you're here obviously. My concern is for-"

"Why don't I go, then? I'm the one she hates. You guys should get settled in, Ian and I can go and talk to her. It's just regulars and shit, right? I'm not gonna get bombarded by crazy fans?" Mickey asked.

"Nope. Bunch of old people and some other regulars during the afternoon rush. Fi and V work there along with Ian and sometimes Carl. I work there occasionally when I'm not at school, but I've been thinking about dropping school anyway even before Mandy came out here."

"Wait, you can't drop school? I worked my ass off to get you in forever ago!" Mandy scolded, Lip sighing and grabbing their bags to head inside.

"Tell Fi to call me, yeah?" Lip asked. 

"Hold on," Ian said, pushing past his brother to run inside and grab a joint from his bedroom. He put it behind his ear, running back outside to find everyone standing in the same place where he left them. "Alright, now I'm ready. I'm gonna need a buzz before talking to Satan herself."

Mickey rolled his eyes, "Let's go. I'm fucking cold. Forgot how September's much cooler here than it is in LA."

"Tell her to call, Ian!" Lip yelled out as he headed inside with Mandy while Ian and Mickey began walking.

Ian grabbed the joint, lighting it and taking a hit. He held in the smoke longer than usual, exhaling the thick cloud before handing it to Mickey. 

"Like old times." Mickey teased, inhaling and nearly coughing up a lung. Ian chuckled, grabbing the joint and taking another hit.

"Don't smoke much anymore, huh?" Ian asked, exhaling the smoke. 

"Nah. Been trying to quit smoking cigarettes for a few years now, too. Only smoke them when I'm anxious but it's hard to smoke weed these days. It's too risky being watched all the time and having the possibility of ending up on some crazy report or tabloid saying your life is spiraling out of control when it's really not."

Ian nodded, taking another hit as they continued walking.

"Fuck, did the Southside get shittier since I've left?" Mickey asked and Ian let out a laugh.

"No, same old shitty place. You're just used to beautiful LA."

"And maybe you will be soon, too." Mickey said, Ian suddenly feeling his heart fluttering.

They continued on with their walk, reminiscing as they passed by familiar places with stories attached to their memories. Once they finally made it to the diner, Mickey took a deep breath.

"You sure you wanna go in there?" Ian asked.

"Yeah. I need to apologize and show her that I'm serious about you."

"But you're not the one at fault here. I am." Ian answered.

"We both are," Mickey corrected him. "Plus, she's like a mother to you. You think mothers think their kids are ever in the wrong?" Mickey asked. 

Ian shrugged as Mickey walked towards the door. As he reluctantly pulled it open, a chipper waitress greeted him at the door.

"Welcome to Patsy's, can I - woah. Wait. You look familiar," The waitress squinted, eyes suddenly widening in realization. "Holy Shit! You're Mickey Milkovich!"

Ian opened the door, standing beside Mickey. "Hey, Sierra. Where's Fi?"

Sierra put her hand on the side of her mouth, trying to hide her lips from the brunet, "Ian, you're standing next to Mickey Milkovich!" She whispered.

Ian shook his head in amusement. "I know. He used to live right down the street from me and we're sort of..." Ian trailed off as Sierra's jaw dropped nearly to the floor.

"Holy... One moment. I'll go get Fiona." She said, starstruck by Mickey and running out back in excitement.

Mickey and Ian chuckled, walking over to V who was preparing coffee. She turned around sensing eyes on her. Her own eyes widened in disbelief.

"Hey, V." Mickey greeted quietly.

"Oh, hell no. Fiona!" V yelled, walking out back to get Fiona. 

"I'm in a fuckin' lions den." Mickey muttered, Ian shaking his head in response. 

"I won't let them tear you apart. You did nothing wrong." Ian answered.

Sierra came around the corner from where Fiona's office was, nervous expression on her face. She approached Ian, putting a hand on his arm.

"I think you guys should go outside. Fiona's coming and she's, uh, not happy to say the least. Mickey, it's been a pleasure meeting you. Hope to see you two around." She said, going back to waiting tables.

Mickey turned to go outside and Ian grabbed his jacket. "No, she wants us outside to yell at us. We're staying right here."

"Ian, it's fine. I don't blame her for being pissed."

"No. I said we're staying here." Ian said with anger behind his voice, Mickey throwing up his hands in surrender. 

V rounded the corner, stopping once she saw them. She put her hand on her hip, pointing at them with her free hand. "There they are."

Fiona rounded the corner, dead panning Mickey the entire time. The brunet swallowed hard, bracing himself for her wrath.

"Outside. _Now."_ Fiona ordered. Mickey immediately complied, Ian sighing and following him out. Fiona brushed passed V to follow them out as V and Sierra peeped out the window to watch the confrontation.

"Fiona, I'm-" 

Fiona held her hand up to interrupt Mickey. She took a deep breath, lowering her hand and keeping her gaze on Mickey.

"Are you two back together?" She asked, moving her gaze to Ian.

"Yes." Mickey answered, Fiona continuing to stare at Ian.

"Are you happy?" She asked, Ian nodding in response. She turned to look at Mickey. "Are you going to leave again?"

"That's not fair, Fi." Ian interjected.

"Answer my question." Fiona pressed, burning a hole through the brunet with her gaze.

"I was hoping that maybe Ian would come back with me.." Mickey trailed off, Fiona letting out a humorless laugh. 

"I'm in the fucking Twilight Zone," She mumbled to herself. "You realize how badly you fucked up my brother, right?"

"Fi, it's not all on him. I was the one who ended things between us in the first place." Ian interrupted.

Mickey ran his fingers through his hair, staring up at Fiona. "I know that you hate me. Fuck, I sort of hate myself too. But I love your brother. I always have and always will. We've all fucked up in our lives, even you. So please, let me show you that I'm serious about Ian. I want him to stay with me in LA. I know how to take care of him if shit were to ever hit the fan again as I'm more than fucking sure you remember me being here for him years ago. I need him and he needs me. I can't take back leaving, but I can try to make things right between us just as he's also trying to do with me."

Fiona's facial expression slightly softened as she took in Mickey's words carefully.

"Let me live my life, Fi. I know what I want and it's him. I know you know that and always have." Ian said quietly, tension beginning to ease as he took Mickey's hand and interlocked their fingers.

They all looked back at the window, V tapping on the glass and yelling something as Sierra was cheering in excitement. Fiona let out a small laugh and shook her head, Ian and Mickey following suit. 

"Mickey, I appreciate everything you did for my brother and our family. You've got understand where I'm coming from, though." Fiona said.

Mickey nodded, "I do understand. And I don't blame you. Can you meet me half way until I gain your trust back? I'm only here until Terry dies from whatever the fuck cancer he has and then I've gotta go back. But I'd really like Ian to come back with me. If not right away, as soon as possible."

"Shit, Terry's finally dying?" Fiona asked.

"He's only got a few days or something. I don't want to see him but Mandy needed me there with her for when she goes."

Fiona nodded, letting out a sigh as she swallowed her pride. "You always were there for your family and ours," She looked at her brother who was smiling at Mickey, Fiona seeing happiness in his eyes. "Alright. I'll meet you half way. If Ian wants to move out to LA with you, that's his choice. Can't say I'm particularly happy about it, but he's old enough to make his own decisions."

Mickey grinned, Fiona stepping closer to Mickey and opening her arms. "Okay, bring it in. Both of you."

They moved forward, hugging Fiona and feeling weight lifting off their shoulders. Fiona kissed the top of Ian's head as she started to tear up.

"You know I'm gonna miss the hell out of you, right?" She whispered.

"I'll miss you too, Fi. I'll visit, I promise. But this is what I need to do right now." 

She nodded understandingly, releasing the embrace and wiping tears from her eyes.

"You're still on my shit list, Milkovich. You better treat my Ian right." Fiona sniffled out.

"I will." Mickey promised.

"I know." Fiona responded softly, giving them one last look before heading towards the door.

"Hey, Fi?" Ian yelled out, Fiona turning around. "Lip wants you to call him. Don't know why he couldn't just call you himself."

"Probably wants me to add him on the schedule. I'll call him when I leave here in about an hour. We'll order pizza for dinner. See you guys at home." Fiona said, Ian and Mickey waving goodbye as they turned around to head home.

As they started to walk home, Mickey looked around and took in the once familiar surroundings that were only distant memories now. He didn't miss Chicago, though, it would always be part of him. He laughed to himself as they passed the Kash N Grab, remembering the times he'd rob it and first talked to Ian there. As they passed the shitty convenient store, Mickey's phone rang interrupting his memories.

"The fuck you want?" He answered, Ian chuckling as the brunet started to sound more 'Southside'.

"Just got a call from a nurse. Terry's probably not gonna make it through the night. We've gotta go now. When will you be home?" Mandy asked.

"Soon. Maybe thirty minutes or so. Call an uber so it's ready to bring us."

"Alright. See you soon." Mandy replied, ending the call.

Mickey huffed, "You got a cigarette? Terry's apparently not gonna make it through the night so we're gonna leave as soon as we get back and I'm on fuckin' edge."

"Sure," Ian answered, pulling out a cigarette and handing it to Mickey. He took a drag, feeling the nicotine course through him and sighing in relief. "You gonna talk to him?"

"No. Just can't wait for this shit to be over so we can go back to LA. Chicago's got some haunting memories for sure." Mickey said, shuddering as he exhaled the smoke.

Ian's phone buzzed, the redhead immediately pulling it out in hopes it was another message from Tyler Croft. To his disappointment, it was not. He sighed as he read the message.

Luke (4:33PM): Am I in the dog house? Radio silence from you these last few days.

Ian (4:34PM): Sorry. Don't need you anymore. 

"Who's that?" Mickey asked, noticing Ian texting.

"Nobody." Ian lied, finding it hard to explain that he was texting his old fuck buddy he woudld use to forget about the brunet.

"Fuck you, I know you're lying." Mickey retorted, taking another drag.

Luke (4:35PM): You sure about that?

Ian's face turned red in aggravation, wishing he never hooked up with the guy regularly in the past.

Ian (4:36PM): Got a boyfriend now. I'm all set. 

"You're really not gonna tell me who you're talking to? You're fucking turning red, for Christ sakes." Mickey said, stopping in his tracks as he exhaled smoke.

Luke (4:37PM): Boyfriends don't stop me.

Ian (4:37PM): Mine will. Stop texting me now.

"Cool. I'll just fucking yell at the wind while you continue to text," Mickey grumbled, stepping towards Ian to glance at the messages. "Who the fuck's Luke?"

Ian sighed, "He's literally nobody."

"Well he sure as shit looks like a somebody to me." Mickey retorted, grabbing the phone and looking at the message. 

"He was someone I used to hook up with. It meant nothing. I didn't even let him really touch me and I never let him kiss me. He was just somebody to help numb the pain..." Ian trailed off.

Mickey sniffed as he looked at the incoming message. 

Luke (4:39PM): I doubt it. Text me when your boyfriend can't please you and you're ready to fuck again

Mickey glanced up at Ian, hitting 'call' on Luke's name and putting the phone up to his ear.

"Here we go.." Ian muttered to himself, watching Mickey intently as he took another drag waiting for Luke to answer.

"That was fast." Luke answered.

"You ever try contacting Ian again, I don't care who you are, I'll fucking bury you in your goddamn front yard." Mickey threatened, Ian shaking his head in amusement.

"Listen, pal. It's not my fault your bitch needed me last week before you-"

"You wanna fucking die? Fucking test me." Mickey interrupted.

"Jesus, he's not worth this sort of baggage. You're fucking psycho."

"Only when you try taking what's mine. Now fuck off." Mickey said bluntly before hanging up and blocking Luke's number. He handed the phone back to Ian, taking another drag from his cigarette while he walked forward acting like nothing ever happened.

"Mick, you don't need to get jealous over guys like that. He was literally nobody to me."

Mickey stopped, facing Ian. "You're somebody to me. And if fuckers try messing with that, you know how I get."

"I know." Ian confirmed, Mickey smirking as he took one last drag before tossing the cigarette to the side.

"Now, let's go handle this stupid Terry bullshit so we can finally go home." Mickey said, Ian nodding in agreement as they continued on with their walk and reminiscing about the _good_ times they had in the shitty Southside.


	18. Pieces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warning**  
> Mentions of rape and slurs in this chapter.
> 
>  
> 
> Song:
> 
> Pieces by Red

Mandy gripped her brother's hand tight, squeezing her eyes shut as a warm tear rolled down her pale cheek. Mickey kept his gaze straight ahead, tensing his muscles and staying strong for his sister while they walked through the hospice facility, Ian on the other side of the brunet. 

Mandy told Lip to stay home, only wanting to be with Mickey and Ian who were the ones who had always been her rock. They approached the desk, the woman looking at Mandy with sorrowful eyes.

"We're here for Terry Milkovich." Mickey said quietly.

"Are you all relatives of Mr. Milkovich?" The woman asked.

"She and I are his kids, he's my boyfriend." Mickey answered, Ian placing a hand on the latter's arm for comfort. 

"He's alotted three visitors at a time, so you may all go in at once. Here are your passes." The woman said, handing them passes that they took and walked towards Terry's room. Mickey took a deep breath, bracing himself for what was behind the door that they were now approaching.

He felt weak, helpless, and emotionally drained thinking back to his childhood and up bringing by Terry. By a _monster._ His memories flooded over him like a monsoon of broken pieces and broken dreams; a small child forever wishing to have the perfect family with a white picket fence. He once longed for a father and mother who kissed eachother goodnight before going to sleep. Parents that would tuck their children in before bed, reading them a bedtime story and reminding them how much they were loved. Role models, the people who were supposed to show you right from wrong and care for you regardless. Someone who could be a superhero even if they were average at best.

Instead, he had an abusive father who drank himself stupid and a cracked out mother who ran when she had the chance. A cold man, hitting him every time he made a mistake. An eternal nightmare, enveloping him in darkness and always pushing him down when he'd start to slowly get back up both metaphorically and physically. Terry was never a father, never a role model, never a superhero, never one to acknowledge his children's accomplishments. He was nothing but death and decay from the start, a poor excuse of a father. A wasted opportunity that should have been given to someone else who _deserved_ to be a dad. As a result, Mickey and Mandy would forever suffer emotional damage, always missing a piece of them that was never there to begin with.

"You sure you want me to go in?" Ian asked, glancing at Mandy who was already a wreck.

"I need you," Mickey whispered, voice shaking.

Ian nodded, opening the door for them and walking inside to see Terry thin and weak, utterly unrecognizable from the cancer eating him away. Mickey immediately let out a small cry, walking out of the room while Mandy stepped closer to Terry and held his hand as he laid motionless and weak.

Ian ran out of the room, finding Mickey leaned against the wall in a crouching position with his hands over his head. The redhead swallowed back tears, never seeing Mickey like this before. Ian dropped down beside him and wrapped his arms around the brunet.

"I can't do it, Ian." Mickey whispered.

"Yes you can. I'm right here with you," Ian said softly. "Mandy needs you. And I think you should say your goodbyes."

Mickey glanced at Ian momentarily, "Why would I want to say shit to him? He was nothing to me just like I was nothing but a faggot to him."

Ian closed his eyes, words piercing and hurting as he felt Mickey's pain, "It might free you. You don't have to, but it's probably the last time you're going to get a chance to say anything to him. No matter what, I'm by your side, Mick."

Mickey kept his gaze on Ian, feeling whole for just a moment as he stared into those green eyes. They both looked at the door as the sounds of Mandy's sobs broke their silence. Mickey slowly got up, Ian reaching for his hand as they re-entered the room.

"I love you too, daddy." Mandy said through more sobs as Terry very slowly moved his gaze to Mickey.

"Mandy.. please give.. us .. a moment." Terry whispered, voice sounding as frail as his body currently looked. 

Mandy nodded as she got up to leave the room, Mickey standing completely still and continuing to hold Ian's hand.

"Mick.. closer." Terry whispered, Mickey taking a deep breath before stepping forward with Ian.

Terry stared up at his son, eyes filled with regret and loneliness. He had no one. No one cared about him to see him in his last days, and Mickey momentarily relished in the thought before Terry spoke again.

"Gal..lagher.. I remember.."

Mickey held back his tears as he released Ian's hand, leaning forward to get closer to Terry and gritting his teeth in anger. 

"You remember pistol whipping me and holding him at gun point? How about being so embarassed of having a gay son that you called over a Russian prostitute to have her rape me while also holding me at gun point. You're a piece of shit and I'm glad you're dying." Mickey breathed out, Terry closing his eyes and slowly opening them. For the first time in Mickey's life, he saw sadness in his father's eyes.

"I am.. shit.. and I'm.. sorry." Terry whispered.

Mickey swallowed hard, no longer able to hold back his tears. He'd never heard Terry apologize, let alone refer to himself as shit.

"Sorry can't take back what you did. I fucking hate you." Mickey muttered, voice breaking.

Ian turned around to walk towards the window, giving them enough space to have their moment but still close enough to be there for Mickey. 

"Mm..Mickey.. want you to .. know," Terry started, taking a deep breath as he felt pain coursing through his body, the cancer winning the battle. "I'm.. proud.. of you."

Ian turned around to look at Terry and then to Mickey who had never looked more shocked in his entire life. The brunet sniffed, bringing his hand up to his nose and letting tears fall from his cheeks.

"I don't even know what to say right now," Mickey answered almost inaudible.

"Don't.. say.. just know.. it. I was.. so.. wrong. Never.. said it.. but I.. I.. love you."

Mickey blinked, remaining silent and still as he watched Terry struggling for comfort and survival. The older man suddenly began to gasp, Ian widening his eyes.

"I'm getting a nurse!" Ian yelled, running out of the room as Mandy ran back in to rush over to Terry.

"Mickey, do something!" Mandy ordered frantically, Mickey continuing to stand still and stare at his father gasping for air.

He suddenly tuned out all sounds, watching as Mandy yelled but no longer hearing her. He watched Terry gasping and flailing, though, not hearing a sound. Mickey turned around and exited the room, hearing everything he needed from his father before heading to the elevator. Nurses ran into Terry's room as Ian stopped and rushed towards Mickey's direction, the last thing the brunet saw before he blacked out in the elevator.

Ian hit the 'hold open' button, dropping to the floor and lifting Mickey's head as he had fallen in the elevator when he passed out. Mandy ran out of the room as the nurses had her leave while they assisted with Terry, Mandy immediately running to Ian and her brother.

"What the fuck happened? He just ignored me and walked out of the room!" Mandy cried out.

"I believe he's having a panic attack. He's breathing," Ian said calmly, leaning against the wall of the elevator. He stretched out his legs, pulling Mickey between them as he rested the brunet's head on his chest while wrapping his arms around the latter. "It's okay, Mick. Remember what you used to tell me, breathe with me. Feel my heart beat. You've got this."

Mandy watched intently as her brother slowly opened his eyes, matching his breathing to Ian's. 

"That's great, Mick. You're doing so fucking great." Ian soothed, Mickey nodding as he continued to breathe with the redhead. 

"Is everything okay? Does he need an ambulance?" A woman who must have been there for another patient asked, Ian shaking his head no.

"He's alright. Just dealing with grief." Ian answered, continuing to hold Mickey as they finally matched breathing patterns. The woman nodded and walked away.

"You're really good with him. He's really fucking lucky to have you." Mandy said, standing up to glance outside of the elevator.

"Are you good to walk?" Ian asked Mickey. The brunet nodded as he slowly started to stand up, Ian right there with him just in case.

As Mickey gained his balance, he sighed and looked to the ground in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry for being a fucking pussy-"

"Stop it. Don't apologize, Mick. You once told me to never apologize for being human when I was going through my shit. Same applies to you. Never fucking apologize for being human." Ian reminded him.

Mickey moved his gaze off of the ground and stared up at him incredulously, wondering what he ever did to deserve someone who genuinely cared about him the way Ian did. "Ian, I-"

"Are you Mickey and Mandy Milkovich?" A nurse asked, Mickey and Mandy both nodding.

"I'm so sorry to tell you this, but your father became unresponsive a few moments ago. His heart stopped beating. I'm really sorry for your loss." The nurse said. 

Mandy instantly turned around to cover her face, crying into her hands. Mickey closed his eyes, pulling Mandy into his arms. Ian wrapped his arms around them both, wishing he could take away their pain. He knew what it was like to lose a parent who was never there, though, Monica was a far better parent than Terry. Nonetheless, he knew the feeling of losing a parent and how it sucked.

"I'm ready to go home now," Mandy whispered, Ian releasing from the embrace. "I already told them over the phone to have Terry cremated and no services will be held."

Mickey nodded, feeling relieved to not have to plan out a funeral. He wanted this to be the one and only day that he would ever mourn the loss of Terry Milkovich, not wanting to think about it much after today. He felt a sense of freedom knowing Terry was gone and at peace. Though he'd never admit it, he was thankful to have spoken with Terry who had been holding on just to apologize to them. It would never fix him, but it was a start to a long emotional recovery that Mickey and Mandy both had in store.

Once the paper work had been filled out, they called an Uber and sat in silence the entire ride home. As they arrived to the Gallagher home, Lip was waiting outside in the dark for Mandy who had immediately ran out of the car and jumped in the older Gallagher's arms. Mickey paid the driver, getting out of the car with Ian close behind. He started to walk down the street, his legs feeling like they were possessed as he couldn't stop them from moving. Ian followed, knowing exactly where the latter was going. 

After fifteen minutes of silence, they arrived to the rundown Milkovich home that was now occupied by strangers. Mickey stared at the house, wishing he could burn it down to the ground. Instead, he sat on the sidewalk that ran infront of the house. Ian sat beside him, looking up at the sky and seeing stars that he'd never noticed before.

"Thank you for today. For everything. I really don't know what I would have done without you." Mickey said.

"Of course." Ian answered softly. 

"I really hope you know how fucking important you are to me. I was so lost without you all these years. Now it's like I can finally breathe and, you know, live again." Mickey said quietly, also looking up at the stars.

"I know. I feel the same way, too." 

Mickey turned his gaze to Ian, "I know this is out of line and even reckless of me to say seeing how we just technically got back together. But I love you, Ian. I fucking mean it."

Ian lowered his gaze from the stars to stare into Mickey's icy blue eyes, still puffy from crying earlier. The redhead smiled softly, "I love you too, Mick."

They both moved their gaze back up to the sky, wishing life didn't have to be so hard. Wishing they could have done things differently. But they knew as long as they had eachother, they would make it through anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is going to be a two week jump in time. Thank you all for reading and leaving awesome feedback/kudos! I assure you that the next chapter won't be so sad as everyone is finally able to move forward and heal.❤


	19. Ass Back Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Ass Back Home by Gym Class Heroes featuring Neon Hitch

It had been two weeks since Terry had passed, two weeks since Mandy and Mickey got on a flight and went back to LA, and two weeks since Ian decided he was positively moving out of Chicago to pursue the opportunity that Tyler Croft had offered. After Terry passed, Mickey didn't want to talk about it any further. He had no interest in mourning someone he hated even if Mandy didn't feel the same way. 

When they returned to Ian's house that night, Mickey urged Ian to call Tyler and discuss the offer. Ian wearily complied, still not wanting to put the attention on himself but the brunet insisted as he needed to take his mind off of Terry. The talent scout asked if Ian would be interested in doing a TV show, though, not as high budget as Mickey's of course. Ian relayed that he was indeed interested and Tyler said he wanted to meet in two weeks to discuss in person.

The redhead couldn't believe this was actually happening, that he was going to move out of Chicago to live with the love of his life and to pursue a career he had no intentions of ever going for up until now. He had no idea if acting was an ability he possessed, but he was sure as hell at least going to give it a shot before having to get a job at a Starbucks or something.

Two weeks had passed by, and tomorrow was finally the day that he would be flying to LA. It had been difficult, to say the least, for both Ian and Mickey during these last two weeks. Mickey would tease that Ian could survive two weeks if he went five years without seeing him, the redhead was always more than unimpressed by the joke.

Ian stopped to look around his room as he packed his last suitcase, really only needing clothes and personal items as mickey had furniture and practically everything else Ian could ever need. He smiled, reminiscing as he looked around the room.

"Ian! Dinner!" Fiona yelled from the kitchen, Ian looking down at his phone one last time to stare at a picture of the brunet who he missed like crazy. 

"Coming!" He yelled, sending a text before going downstairs. 

Ian (5:30PM): Skype date at 6:30 - my time?

Mickey (5:31PM): Sounds good to me. Have a meeting soon that shouldn't last long so I'll be ready. Miss you

Ian smiled at the message before putting the phone in his pocket and going down to the kitchen. 

"There he is!" Fiona exclaimed, pulling Ian in for a hug.

"Please no tears this time, Fi." Ian muttered as she squeezed him as tight as she could before releasing.

"I already told myself that I'm not going to cry until _after_ you leave... When I check your bedroom at night and don't see you.. When-"

"Here we fucking go." Carl sighed, Ian chuckling as Fiona flipped her brothers off.

"Can you please take me to LA, too? Chicago fucking sucks." Debbie begged, Ian shaking his head in response.

"Not a goddamn chance," He muttered, earning a death glare from his younger sister. "Lip coming home tonight or tomorrow morning before my flight?"

Fiona pulled out her phone to look at the text message, "It says, 'Fiona, you suck. Tell Ian I'll be there. GFY.' Fucking Christ, I've had it with the animosity. He's pissed at me because I didn't want him to drop college."

Ian raised an eyebrow, sitting beside Liam. "Is he pissed because you don't want him to drop out _or_ is he pissed because you gave him one of your Fiona ultimatums that you love to give out like candy?" 

Fiona narrowed her eyes, "It may be a bit of the second one." 

"Thought so." Ian said pointedly, scooping spaghetti onto his plate.

"I know I need to work on that but he needs to meet me half way here. He's the smartest one of us and he's gonna throw it all away for, what, Mandy Milkovich? Just doesn't sit well with me." Fiona said as she sat down and also began scooping out spaghetti.

"I'm smart, Fi." Liam said, Fiona letting out a smile. 

"You're our only hope, Liam." She said, pulling out her phone and texting Lip to ask specifically when he'd be home.

After they finished dinner, Ian went to his room and locked the door. He booted up the shitty laptop that the Gallaghers shared, taking a century to load. Once it finally loaded, he pulled up Skype and waited for the brunet to log on. His phone rang, Ian furrowing his brow as he stared at the computer screen while reaching for his phone. 

"Hello?"

"Yo. I'll be home tonight, I just didn't feel like telling Fiona. She's being such a bitch lately." Lip said as Ian chuckled, eyes still glued to the screen waiting for Mickey.

"You're just now noticing?" Ian teased, "You really should talk things out. She's already an emotional wreck about me leaving and she's gonna need you."

"She needs to get laid is what she needs." Lip scoffed, Ian shaking his head in response. 

"Probably." Ian agreed.

"Definitely," Lip stated matter-of-factly. "So you ready for the big move?"

"Yeah, it'll be nice to finally get out of the Southside."

"Just be careful." Lip warned, Ian furrowing his brow.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Mickey _is_ a celebrity. He's in demand and he has fans following him everywhere. He's not always going to have time to just lounge with you the way he used to. Just warning you that things might be harder and to be careful."

"I know." Ian answered short. He hadn't told any of his family about the opportunity with Tyler Croft just incase it fell through, but this was one of those moments where he wished he could rub it in Lip's face as he hated when his older brother lectured him. Ian knew that Lip was only looking out for him, though, it still didn't annoy him any less. He was already aware of the lifestyle he was jumping into and knowing about what came with the person who he was dating. He shrugged away his thoughts as he felt himself starting to feel aggravation.

"Alright, I've gotta go. I'm on a Skype date with Mickey. See you tonight."

"Have fun. See ya." Lip said before hanging up.

Mickey's username finally popped up as 'online' and Ian's heart raced, already forgetting about his conversation with Lip. He immeditaley accepted the call from the brunet, grinning like a dork when Mickey's pixalated face appeared on the screen.

"Hey, you." Mickey greeted, moving his phone for a moment to adjust his view.

"Hey! How was your meeting?" Ian asked.

"It was with Curtis Jackson about that show I'll be on. He said they're working on audition screenings this week. I got the script and it's insane. I'm really fuckin' pumped for it!"

"I can't wait to hear all about it tomorrow!" Ian exclaimed, Mickey blushing at his boyfriend's excitement for him. "Can't wait to finally see you, Mick. I mean, looking at you through a screen is great and all but I miss the real you."

Mickey looked up at the screen, "I really miss you, too. Fuckin' Mandy's been up my ass since she doesn't have Lip to bug. Sometimes I wish I could just ship her ass out there." He teased, Ian chuckling in response.

"I'll trade Mandy for Fiona if you want." Ian offered.

"Fuck that, I'll take neither." Mickey said as Ian shook his head.

"Is Mandy home now?" Ian asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mickey walked towards what Ian assumed was his window, glancing away from his phone. "She's outside by the pool. Why?"

Ian bit his lower lip, Mickey moving his gaze back to the camera. "Why, you trying to have Skype sex with me, Gallagher?" Mickey teased, though, Ian didn't answer as he was completely serious.

"You really miss me?" The brunet asked, walking over to his door and locking it before heading over to his bed and laying down.

"So fucking much." Ian answered softly, leaning back in his bed.

Mickey licked his lips before looking at Ian through the screen, "What exactly did you miss?"

Ian softly bit down on his lower lip as he slid his hand down to the waistband of his sweatpants and began palming himself.

Mickey raised an eyebrow, "Whatcha doing?"

"Nothing," Ian breathed out, "I missed your fucking mouth."

"Yeah? What about my mouth?" Mickey pressed, camera shaking for a moment as he also slid his hand down his pants. 

Ian gripped his cock firmly, letting out a small sigh. Mickey snickered deviously as he watched the redhead's reactions to his own touch.

"You sound so fucking sexy right now. Miss those sounds you make." Mickey murmured as his own breath hitched when he began stroking himself.

"Mmm, can't wait to feel you. Want you so bad." Ian breathed out.

"What do you want to do to me?" Mickey asked, letting out a sigh.

"Fucking want you to ride me like you used to. Fuuck." Ian breathed out a moan as he picked up his pace.

"I'll fucking ride that cock right into the goddamn mattress. Make you scream my name."

Ian closed his eyes as he imagined the brunet riding him, stroking himself harder to the thought. 

"Wanna suck that cock before I ride it. Fuck." Mickey moaned, feeling himself tense as he neared an orgasm.

"Want you so bad right now." Ian breathed out a moan, also nearing his climax. 

They listened to eachother breathing heavily, moaning louder as they continued to stroke themselves. The sound alone sent Ian over the edge, sighing into his orgasm and Mickey immeditaley cumming hard right after.

As their breathing steadied, Ian smirked, "Can honestly say I've never had phone sex before."

Mickey snickered, "Glad I was the one to pop your cherry, then." He teased, Ian shaking his head in response. 

"Only fourteen more hours until my flight." Ian said, checking the time that read 6:35pm.

"Thank Christ. Is that appointment with Croft tomorrow or the day after?" Mickey asked.

"It was supposed to be the day after but he said he wanted to do dinner tomorrow at some fancy restaurant instead. You're still gonna come with me, right?"

"Course I am. I'm - fuck, Mandy! The fuck're you doing!" He yelled, getting up off his bed and sliding out of his jeans and boxer briefs to put on sweatpants. "Smells like the bitch is trying to burn down our fuckin' house."

Ian chuckled as Mickey turned the camera in the opposite view, showing the brunet's perspective. There was smoke and fire alarms going off.

"Jesus." Mickey mumbled as he continued down the stairs and to the kitchen.

Mandy was standing infront of the stove, pan smoking as she tried fanning at it with a dish towel.

"I was trying to make mac & cheese and, well, this happened." Mandy said sounding defeated.

Mickey sighed heavily, adjusting the camera back on himself. "Fucking A. This is the shit you're gonna live with."

"Hi Ian! Can't wait to see you tomorrow!" Mandy yelled in the background.

"Hey, Mands! Excited to see you, too!"

"He's fucking lying." Mickey teased, Ian hearing Mandy mumble profanities as she continued fanning the smoke.

"You sure you wanna live with us? Mandy might drive you insane. Or kill you, highly recommend that you don't eat her shitty cooking."

Ian laughed, "I'm positive, Mick."

Ian watched as Mickey and Mandy went back and forth, feeling comfort in knowing his new residence would most definitely feel like home.


	20. Make Me Proud

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Make Me Proud by Drake featuring Nicki Minaj

As Ian pulled up to Milkovich house in the taxi, he knew he was finally home. He opened the car door and took a deep breath and pulled out his suit cases, Mandy soon appearing to help.

"Hey! How was your flight?" Mandy asked, reaching for some luggage.

"Didn't crash." Ian teased, tipping the driver and grabbing the additional luggage that Mandy couldn't take.

Mandy rolled her eyes as they made it inside, carrying Ian's things up to Mickey's room which was now their room. Ian dropped the bags in the center of the room and pulled out his phone, dialing Mickey's number as Mandy plopped down on her brother's bed and looked at her own phone. The call went right to voicemail, Ian assuming the latter's phone was off so he decided to leave a message.

"Hey, Mick. Just made it in. I'm sure your meeting with Curtis is running late. Still can't believe how fucking cool it is that you're working with 50 Cent. Anyway, just checking in. See you soon. I miss you."

Ian sighed, putting the phone back in his pocket and glancing up at Mandy. She put her phone down and grinned at the redhead.

"Mick says the talent scout wants to meet tonight?" Mandy asked, Ian nodding in response.

"Yeah, he wants to talk over dinner about some TV show opportunity and Mick said he'd come with me since I'm fucking nervous. I've never acted before, but I'm pretty excited to try."

Mandy furrowed her brow, "You know Mickey isn't going to be home until later tonight, right?"

"What do you mean? He told me last night on our Skype date that he was coming with me to meet Tyler." Ian said in confusion.

"The meeting today with Curtis was last minute as you know. Some dude from MTV called him before he left to his meeting and asked if he could do a quick interview for that new stupid love movie he's in. I thought he told you?"

Ian felt his heart drop, hearing Lip's words from yesterday resonating in his mind. He brushed the thoughts away quickly and sighed.

"Nope. Guess he didn't have time or something. That's alright. I can, um, meet Tyler by myself." Ian said, voice dropping.

"I'm no Mickey Milkovich but I am the next best thing, if not better," Mandy teased, "I can definitely come with you for support if you'd like?" Mandy offered, Ian's eyes lighting up with relief.

"Would I be a pain in the ass if I asked you to come? I'm just so fucking nervous and I've never done anything like this and I've never been-"

"Slow down," Mandy chuckled, "I wouldn't offer if I didn't want to. I'm really sorry that Mick didn't tell you. He's been really busy the last two weeks so maybe he just forgot."

Ian nodded, hoping she was right. "Yeah, maybe. Thanks for offering to come with me."

Mandy smiled, putting a hand on Ian's hand. "Anytime."

She laid down, looking up at the ceiling and Ian following suit. The redhead's phone rang, Ian never reaching to answer the phone quicker in his life.

"Hello?" Ian answered eagerly.

"Ian!" A plethora of voices yelled into the phone, Ian quietly sighing as he pulled the phone away from his face to see Fiona's name on the screen.

"Hey, guys."

"How was your flight, pumpkin?" Fiona asked.

"He's twenty two, Fi. Still fucking calling him stupid names." Lip's voice interrupted. 

"I see you two still haven't made up yet." Ian said.

"Once Fiona forgives me for being a bitch all the time, we'll be fuckin' solid." Lip said.

"You're acting like a teenager, Lip. I'm not apologizing for wanting you to succeed." Fiona argued with Lip in the background, Ian shaking his head and putting the call on speaker phone for his and Mandy's entertainment.

"How did that song go that the guy you fuckin' married and divorced in like two seconds wrote for you? Oh, right, fuck you Fiona." Lip scoffed.

Ian covered his mouth, holding in laughter as Mandy's jaw dropped.

"Oh, fuck you! That was a dick move!" Fiona yelled into the phone.

"Takes one to know one." Lip retorted.

"Is Ian even still there?" Debbie's voice chimed in.

Ian bit back his laughter, not missing the typical Gallagher chaos. "Yeah, Debs. I'm still here."

"Sorry, Ian. Your brother still thinks he's four and not twenty four." Fiona snapped.

"It's all good. I've actually gotta go unpack and shit. My flight was fine and I miss you guys already." Ian said, hearing his siblings all talk at once causing him and Mandy to laugh.

"Please don't forget to call us soon. We all miss you and can't wait for you to visit already." Fiona said, the other Gallaghers all talking at once again, making it difficult to distinguish what was being said.

"I won't. Love you guys." Ian said.

"We love you!" The Gallaghers responded in unison.

"See ya." He said, hanging up the phone and Mandy letting out laughter.

"Jesus, they crack me up." Mandy said, Ian shaking his head.

"Glad my dysfunctional family entertains you." He teased, Mandy chuckling as she got off the bed and headed towards the door.

"Wanna go to lunch? My treat," Mandy offered. "I could show you around after. Get you acquainted with LA and the shitbags that inhabit it."

Ian let out a dry laugh, "I mean, when you put it like that."

"Let's go. I'm fucking starving and we know from yesterday what will happen if I try cooking."

Ian grimaced, "Yeah, let's get the fuck outta here before you attempt burning down the house again."

Mandy flipped him off, Ian snickering in response as they left the bedroom to start their adventure for the day.

**************************

Ian _still_ wasn't used to people following him everywhere they went. By the tenth picture he'd taken, he was burnt out. Faking a smile was something he thought he mastered up until now. Mandy said that was one of the biggest challenges here was faking a smile or, as she said, gotta fake it 'til you make it. The idea of that made him cringe, though, acting was all about faking it until you make it so he also found her words of wisdom somewhat useful.

As their day went on, he still hadn't heard from Mickey and it was already 4:30pm. The dinner was at 6pm and he was nervous as hell. Although he was delighted that Mandy would be accompanying him, he wished that Mickey could be there instead. Nonetheless, he was thankful to have Mandy. His train of thought was interrupted when he looked out the window of the uber and saw the bumper to bumper traffic on the freeway.

"I thought Chicago traffic was bad. This is fucking insane." Ian said, staring at the traffic that seemed never-ending.

"You get used to it." Mandy said, pulling out her phone and taking a selfie on Snapchat while playing with the silly filters. 

"At this rate, we're not gonna have time to go home first and get cleaned up." Ian sighed, feeling stressed as the traffic barely moved an inch forward.

"We're almost home. One more exit. I'd say less than twenty more minutes."

Ian huffed, pulling out his phone to see he had a text message.

Mickey (4:38PM): Fuck I'm so sorry that I forgot to tell you about this stupid interview I have tonight. I'll be home around 8. I suck. But you don't. You're gonna be great I already know it

Ian (4:40PM): You don't suck. Mandy's coming with me for support so I don't shit myself

Mickey (4:40PM): Don't let her act like an idiot. Shit before you go so you don't shit yourself. You'll do amazing

Ian (4:41PM): Great pep talk. I'll be sure to shit before I go

Mickey (4:42PM): You're going to be just fine. Can't wait to finally see you.

Ian (4:42PM): Miss you, Mick. Good luck tonight

"Are you texting my brother?" Mandy asked.

"Yeah. Why, what's up?"

"Tell him to unblock me on Snapchat!"

Ian shook his head as he continued texting.

Ian (4:44PM): Mandy said to unblock her on Snapchat.

Mickey (4:45PM): Miss you too

Mickey (4:45PM): Tell her she can kiss my ass. All she does is send me stupid pictures of herself with those dumb fucking filters.

"He said no because you send stupid pictures with filters." Ian relayed from Mickey's message. 

"What? They're not dumb, they're cute!"

Ian (4:46PM): She says they're not dumb and that they're cute

Mickey (4:47PM): Trust me, they're not. Do NOT give her your Snapchat name or else you're gonna wanna block her too 

Ian (4:47PM): Too late. She already asked for mine this morning

Mickey (4:48PM): Block her now before you want to rip your hair out from the trillion stupid selfies she sends you

"Is he going to unblock me yet?" Mandy asked.

"Uh, I don't think so."

"Asshole." She muttered under her breath, pulling up a text message to harass her brother. 

Ian looked up to see that the traffic was beginning to move, finally approaching their exit. Once they got off the exit, the ride back home went by fairly quick. The whole way home, Ian was preparing what to say to Tyler. Although he was excited, he wanted to throw up from the nerves that seemed to progress as it got closer to 6pm.

When they arrived home, Ian and Mandy ran inside and got ready in record time only to jump back into the uber and head to the restaurant. Ian thought he was going to rub a hole through the fabric of his slacks from nervously circling his thumb around his knee. Mickey had bought him nice dress clothes for the meeting, leaving them hanging in his closet for Ian to change into. Ian was relieved when Mickey had told him about the purchase last week, Ian no longer owning dress clothes that fit.

Mandy had been wearing a black dress that fit like a glove, per usual. She glanced over at Ian and grinned, "You look really good. You're gonna kill it."

"If you mean murder it and ruin the opportunity by vomiting everywhere then yes, I'll kill it." Ian retorted, glancing out the window and starting to sweat. 

Mandy rolled her eyes, "You're going to be fine."

They arrived to the restaurant and Ian felt light headed. He stepped out of the car, Mandy close behind as they walked inside.

"How do we know who-"

"Ian Gallagher?" A man with dirty blond hair and an immaculate body fitting into a suit asked.

"Tyler Croft?" Ian asked, hoping his guess was correct.

"In the flesh. Nice to meet you," Tyler said, extending a hand out to Ian and shaking his hand. "Mandy, you're more beautiful than you are in pictures."

"Thank you." She giggled, blushing as Ian rolled his eyes.

"I reserved us a table, follow me." Tyler urged, leading them to a table in the back of the restaurant.

As they sat down and ordered a bottle of champagne, Ian taking a few sips to relax his nerves, Tyler pulled out a notepad and pen.

"So, Ian, I wanted to meet with you because of obvious reasons. First being you're incredibly good looking, definitely ideal when we choose actors and actresses. Yes, it's shallow but it's the ugly truth. Next reason, you showed spunk when you flipped off that paparazzo. Shows us you're daring. And lastly, you're dating Mickey Milkovich from what our sources say."

"That's correct." Ian confirmed, taking another sip of the champagne.

"Alright, tell me about yourself." Tyler said, preparing to jot down notes.

"Well, I'm one of six siblings. Grew up in the Southside of Chicago and lived there my entire life. Um, I was in ROTC in high school. I-"

"Ian, why do you want to pursue acting?"

Ian swallowed hard, trying to come up with something other than 'because being famous is cool'.

"I think it's different from a regular office job in the aspect that your mission is entertainment. You're selling entertainment and that interests me."

Tyler nodded, writing in the notepad. Ian glanced at Mandy, Mandy giving him a quick thumbs up.

"Great. Now, what kind of roles are ideal to you and why?" Tyler asked.

"Honestly, anything is ideal. Where I grew up, you get what you get with no questions asked. You have to fight for what you want and you don't always get it right away. I'm happy to have even gotten this opportunity in the first place, so I'm willing to take on anything you offer me."

Tyler continued writing, nodding as he did so. "Perfect. Last question. I informed you about an upcoming TV show. The budget is low, but they needed a fresh face which I believed you would fit the part of the character they're looking for perfectly. I brought the script for you to skim through with a basic plot. Take a look through. My question is, are you interested in taking on the lead role of Dan?"

Ian nodded, taking the script and looking through it. The basic plot outline was a man, Dan, in his early twenties trying to fulfill his dream of becoming a writer while living in Manhattan. Ian looked through the script, noticing Mandy's name circled with an arrow next to a character's name.

"Mands, you're doing this show too?" Ian asked, Mandy furrowing her brow.

"Actually, that is part of a separate question I had for Miss Milkovich." Tyler answered. 

"You can call me Mandy." She flirted, batting her eye lashes. 

"Well, Mandy, would you be interested in auditioning? The writers and producers were envisioning you as the supporting role of Lynn, Dan's best friend."

Ian grinned, feeling excitement as Mandy's jaw dropped in shock.

"Wait. You also want me on this show with Ian? I have zero experience with acting." Mandy said, Tyler shrugging.

"Like I said, they want fresh faces. I think you two would be perfect for the roles since you already have such a great bond of friendship established and of course, people will be drawn to you two in particular instead of some other Joe Shmoes who audition." 

Mandy looked at Ian, face lighting up with excitement. Ian handed the script back to Tyler and adjusted in his chair.

"I'd love to audition-"

"Me too!" Mandy accidentally interrupted, Tyler chuckling at them.

"Perfect. Mandy, I know you associate with Kate. I'll contact her tonight with the details. Ian, here's a card for Tiffany Lombardo. The auditions will be held tomorrow. Moving forward, your management will be the ones to land you roles and auditions. I was only here to spark the fire, per say. Any questions or concerns?"

"Um, yes. Isn't Tiffany Lombardo Mickey's manager?" Ian asked.

"No. His is Tiffany Crosson."

Ian sighed in relief, not wanting any conflicts or complications in the future. He replaced his concern with a smile, "I don't have any more questions."

"Me either." Mandy said.

"Perfect. Good luck to you both, very nice meeting you." Tyler extended his hand forward for Ian to shake it before Mandy also shaking the talent scout's hand. Once he left, Mandy and Ian looked at eachother and grinned. 

"Holy fucking shit, we're going to do a show together!" Mandy exclaimed, Ian running his hand through his hair in wonder of how he was so goddamn lucky. He pulled out his phone and called Mickey. The brunet answered unexpectedly before it went to voicemail.

"Hey, you."

"Mick, you're never gonna guess what happened!"

"Don't need to guess. I know you knocked it outta the fuckin' park." Mickey said, Ian's heart fluttering.

"He gave me a number for Tiffany Lombardo and told me the auditions are tomorrow."

"Ah, I used to work with that Tiffany. She's great. The Tiffany I currently work with took her place but you'll like her. Super cool chick."

"Awesome, I'm so fucking excited!" 

Mickey chuckled into the phone, "I can hear that. So fucking proud of you," He took a pause before speaking. "Did Tyler, uh, ask Mandy anything?"

"Yeah! He's sending Kate the information and told her about the part."

"Good. Don't tell Mandy, but I'm the one who put a bug in their ear. I really wanted her to have the chance to make a name for herself. You know, finally have the opportunity to shine. Feel kinda bad that she lives in my shadow so figured this would be a great step."

Ian glanced at Mandy who was talking to Lip on the phone and smiled, "You're without a doubt the best person I know."

"Nah, it was really nothing."

"You're too modest, Mick. There's not a lot of people out there who are as selfless and caring as you are. You're fucking perfect."

Mickey paused, Ian understanding that the brunet was more than likely uncomfortable from the compliments.

"That's what family's for. Helping eachother and shit," Ian smiled, feeling even luckier to have Mickey back in his life. "Speaking of shit, you end up shitting your pants?"

Ian let out a laugh, "Jesus. No, I didn't shit myself. Pretty close, though."

"Good, because I'm definitely not into having a shitty boyfriend." Mickey teased, Ian rolling his eyes.

"And there you go being super lame." Ian teased back.

"But you like it."

"I do," Ian confirmed, looking up at Mandy to see she was done her conversation with Lip. "Alright, we're gonna finish up dinner and then we'll be home. See you soon."

"Can't fucking wait." Mickey answered, Ian smiling to himself before hanging up and turning to Mandy to clank their glasses of champagne as they celebrated _their_ meeting going exceptionally well.


	21. Red Lights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Red Lights by Tiesto

"Mandy! The fuck're you doing!" Mickey yelled from underneath Ian in his bed.

Ian smirked, trailing kisses down his boyfriend's neck to help distract the latter from whatever it was that Mandy was doing. The redhead already had the tip of his dick pressed against the brunet's hole, slowly pushing in and stopping abruptly. Mickey heavily sighed as Ian pulled out, the smell of something burning totally killing the mood. Ian also sighed, rolling off of Mickey and grabbing his shirt and pants.

"I swear to fucking Christ, she does this shit to make me lose my fuckin' mind," Mickey huffed as he quickly put his clothes on, peeved as he was about to have sex with Ian for the first time in five years. 

They had given eachother head, only having time for that during Ian's first short stay in Los Angeles. But they still hadn't fucked since their break up. To say that Mickey was sexually frustrated was an understatement. Mickey nudged his knuckle across his nose before opening his door and standing next to the banister at the top of the stairs.

"Mandy! What are you burning now?" Mickey yelled out in aggravation.

A very embarassed Mandy shuffled over to the bottom of the stairs, looking up at her brother grimacing at the scent of burning baked goods. She was holding a dish cloth that she was using to fan the smoke away from the oven. Mickey raised his eyebrows, waiting for a response. She cleared her throat, Ian now standing beside Mickey at the top of the stairs. 

"I was _trying_ to surprise Ian with pot brownies. They clearly didn't come out as planned," Mandy said sheepishly, Ian smiling at the thoughtful attempt. Mickey glanced over at Ian, raising his eyebrows at the redhead.

"The fuck're you smiling for? You were about to fuck me until Martha Stewart down there almost burned down the house again. Which by the way, you're fuckin' cut off from the kitchen I've decided," Mickey snapped, Mandy sighing in response.

"We have the rest of our lives to fuck, Mick. She was trying to do something thoughtful," Ian said, moving his gaze away from the very angry brunet to look down at Mandy, "I appreciate you, Mands! Maybe next time I can help."

"She needs to stay far the fuck away from the kitchen. Soon enough she'll manage to find a way to burn fuckin' cereal," Mickey snarked.

"Fuck you! At least I was there for Ian for his very first meeting about that show we're auditioning for tomorrow, you douche."

Ian swallowed hard, taking a step back as Mickey balled his fists.

"You already know I had to do that last minute interview with MTV. Not my fucking fault," Mickey argued.

"And you didn't have time to send a quick text to your boyfriend to tell him?" Mandy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mickey sighed heavily, rubbing his face in frustration, "I didn't realize you were in our fucking relationship, too."

"Mick, it's fine. She was just-"

"I'm really sorry I missed the interview. I was having a rough day," Mickey mused. "She's right. I should have at least texted."

Mickey held up his middle finger to his sister, Mandy following suit. 

"I'm really not mad, Mick. I totally understand that you're going to be busy a lot."

"No, I should have told you or sent you a text. It was probably going to be awkward anyway because-"

The fire alarm interrupted Mickey, Mandy huffing and pacing over to the alarm to fan the smoke away. Ian stepped forward to go down the stairs and help her, Mickey standing still with thoughts filled of regret.

"Jesus, Mands. You followed the instructions right?" Ian asked as he pulled out the smoking pan with the charred brownies and tossing the pan in the sink to run water over it.

"Well, I tried to do something different and it didn't work out the way I hoped for," Mandy admitted sheepishly, Ian shaking his head and chucking in response.

He opened the slider door and grabbed another cloth, beginning to fan the smoke away. He looked at Mandy and laughed, "Shit, maybe you can bring your _cooking_ skills on set," Ian teased.

"Absolutely not," Mandy retorted through a chuckle, "Lynn is a hard-ass bitch who has her shit together and keeps Dan in line. It's going to be great to see what it's like to have my shit together for once."

"At least your character has her shit together. Mine has his head in the clouds and probably isn't going anywhere from the looks of the script. Fuck my life," Ian teased, Mickey appearing from the bottom of the stairs as the alarm finally stopped.

"Don't worry, Dan. Lynn will keep your ass in check," Mandy joked, walking away from the alarm and hanging up the dish towel.

"That your characters' names?" Mickey asked, Ian grinning as he nodded.

"Better than Jack. Do I look like a fucking Jack?" Mickey asked. Both Mandy and Ian letting out a laugh, Mickey narrowing his eyes at his sister, "Don't even fuckin' say it, bitch."

"Yes, Mickey. You do look like a Jack... Ass," She let out a throaty laugh and Mickey rolled his eyes.

"Feel better now?"

Mandy continued to giggle at her own joke, Ian nonchalantly covering his mouth with his finger to hold in laughter.

"No, I'm sure I'll come up with more along the way," Mandy answered, conversation interrupted by Mickey's phone ringing.

"Yo." He answered, Ian walking closer to the brunet to wrap his arms around his waist.

"Hey, it's Curtis. What's going on?"

"Uh, not sure. It's almost eight o'clock, what's up?" Mickey asked, glancing up at the gorgeous green eyes watching him intently.

"Two things, we're starting audition screenings tomorrow instead of later on during the week. They wanted to get shit rolling so we can start filming by November."

Ian raised an eyebrow at Mickey, sliding his hands down the latter's back and stopping at his ass. The brunet swatted Ian's hands away and moved towards the slider door where Mandy was outside smoking a cigarette. Ian snickered and followed him out.

"Alright. I assume you need me there?" 

"That would be great. They want your input on the actors and actresses auditioning," Curtis said, Mickey glancing at Mandy and reaching his hand out for the cigarette.

"What's the second thing?"

"Do you and Ian have plans tonight? I'm going out to the clubs with some people and figured it'd be cool to get to know you outside of work."

Mickey grinned, still feeling starstruck by 50 Cent, "Yeah, man. Sounds fun. I just gotta talk to Ian and make sure he didn't plan anything for us since this is his first day back to LA."

"Cool. Just text me and let me know what's up."

"Alright, see ya."

Mickey hung up the phone, taking a drag from the cigarette and sitting at the patio. He looked down at the city lights as their house was on a hill. Ian walked outside, sitting beside Mandy on a hammock chair. She pulled out another cigarette, taking a drag and passing it to Ian. They all moved their gaze to the city lights, finding it ironic how none of them would have ever guessed they'd be staring down at a beautiful city and not being stuck inside of a shitty one.

"What'd Curtis say?" Ian asked, breaking the silence as he and Mandy began to swing on the hammock chairs.

"He wanted to know if we wanted to go out to the clubs tonight with some people," Mickey said, exhaling the smoke from his nose as Mandy sat up and grabbed the cigarette from his hand. "Ay! The fuck're you doing?"

"You're not supposed to be smoking these," Mandy scolded, bringing the cigarette up to her lips and inhaling. Mickey sighed and rolled his eyes.

"You wanna go?" Ian asked, antsy to get out and see more of the LA nightlife especially with people including 50 Cent.

"Sure, only if you wanna go."

"What about me, assholes?" Mandy whined, Mickey leaning forward and snatching back the cigarrete from her hand.

"What about you?" He scoffed, taking a drag and exhaling the smoke in her direction.

"Such a prick sometimes," She muttered under her breath, pulling out her phone to text her friends and make plans.

Ian stood up to walk over to the pool, water shimmering and reflecting the moon. He sat down, rolling up his pants before dipping his feet in. The water was the perfect temperature, though, almost as warm as the air outside. It reminded him of a bath because of how warm the water was. Mickey sat down beside Ian, following suit. The brunet turned around to look at Mandy who was now talking obnoxiously loud with her friend on the phone. Mickey sighed, moving his gaze back to Ian.

"I am really sorry about missing your big night," Mickey said quietly, taking another drag.

Ian shrugged, "It's not like you missed my graduation or something important."

"But it _is_ important. I should have been there and told MTV to fuck off."

Ian pressed the end of his cigarette down to the ground, putting it out before leaning back on the heal of his hands.

"You can just come to my audition tomorrow to make up for it," Ian said with a smile.

Mickey closed his eyes and sighed, "I have to help Curtis with auditions tomorrow. I'll call them and have them send you home with a copy of your tape so we can watch it tomorrow night. I already know you're going to be fucking great."

Ian nodded, feeling slightly disappointed in himself for thinking Mickey would have the time to watch his first audition in person. Lip's voice suddenly filled his head. _'He's not always going to have time...'_ Ian shrugged the thought away and practiced his fake smile.

"Sounds good to me."

Mickey took one last drag before putting it out on the ground beside him, dangling his feet in the water. He sniffed, looking to Ian's direction before speaking, "I need to be completely honest with you right now about something."

Ian furrowed his brow, feeling his heart drop as he always thought of worst case scenarios first. Before he said anything, Mickey continued.

"The real reason why I didn't go to dinner with you tonight is because I used to hook up with Tyler. It was nothing more than that, but it felt weird to me to be there even if it meant nothing. When MTV called for that last minute interview, I accepted when I shouldn't have. I should have just told you from the start instead of breaking my promise. I should have been honest."

Ian stared at the glistening water, unsure of what to say. He had questions but didn't know if he wanted the answers to them. He knew things would be hard, but he was beginning to wonder if every time he'd do an interview or audition if Mickey had hooked up with one of the actors or crew members or director or whoever. The thoughts of Mickey being with anyone else made Ian feel uneasy, though, Ian knew he shouldn't feel that way since he was the one who dumped Mickey in the first place. It's not like the brunet was never allowed to talk to anyone else again, and Ian surely wasn't a saint. But it still hurt, nonetheless.

"You alright?" Mickey asked as he watched Ian's thoughts running a mile per second.

"Yeah," Ian answered short, thoughts still moving at a fast pace.

Ian was now wondering how many guys Mickey had hooked up with over the last five years. He wondered if they could ever make the latter feel the way Ian used to make him feel. 

"I can tell you're not," Mickey said, sighing as he also looked at the water.

Ian didn't want to argue. He didn't want to think about the time Mickey spent with irrelevant people while he was gone because that is all those people were: irrelevant. And he most certainly did not want to fuck anything up that they had going so far, though, Mickey already taking the first small stab at that. Ian decided that he would let it go for now, wanting to focus on their future, the excitement of the TV show and being back together with the only person he ever loved. He wanted to move forward and no longer dwell on the past.

"Everything's cool, Mick. Just promise me you'll be honest from this point on."

Mickey let a small sigh of relief escape from his mouth, "Absolutely. You have my word."

Ian smiled, getting better at faking it, "I appreciate it."

Mickey got up, reaching his hand out for Ian to take it. Ian grabbed Mickey's hand, standing up and catching his balance. The brunet brought his hand up to cup Ian's cheek, Ian bringing his gaze to the latter's.

"It's you and me, now. I don't need anyone else but you. What's in the past is in the past. You're what I've always wanted," Mickey said, staring into Ian's eyes as he sensed the hurt behind them. "No one could ever compare to you. Got it?"

Ian nodded, stress easing as he knew Mickey's words were true. His smile was now genuine, remembering the feel of Mickey's touch. The latter's fingers on Ian's face sent electric pulses through his body, Ian's heart racing from the sensation. Ian brought his hand up to Mickey's face, letting his hand rest there for a moment as he finally felt like he was home. Mickey pulled Ian's face closer to his, kissing him tenderly. Ian dropped his hand down to Mickey's heart, feeling it beating. This was his home, anywhere in Mickey's arms, and he had been away for far too long.

"Um, hello. Still here." Mandy interrupted, holding the cellphone away from her face. Mickey held up his middle finger to her, never breaking contact from kissing Ian who was laughing into the kiss.

Ian pulled away, chuckling as Mandy flipped her brother off in response. 

"We should probably get ready to go out anyway. But when we get back I'm gonna ride-"

"Nope, stop right there. Don't wanna hear about your sexcapades," Mandy interrupted her brother, grimacing as she brought the phone back to her ear.

Mickey walked over to Mandy, leaning against her hammock chair. Ian headed towards the door, knowing his boyfriend was about to say something vulgar.

"Can you hold on another second?" Mandy asked her friend over the phone, dropping it from her ear and looking at Mickey with annoyance. "What?"

"Wanted you to know that when we get home tonight, I'm going to jump on Ian's dick and ride him like a fucking-"

"Oh my - Fuck off!" Mandy yelled in disgust as Mickey snickered, walking over to the door where a very flushed Ian was standing.

"Was that necessary?" Ian asked sheepishly, turning to step inside the house.

"You're goddamn right it was," Mickey snorted, "And I mean it. Let's get this night over with so you can fuck the shit out of me already."

Ian raised an eyebrow, "Wow, you really do have a way with words."

"I really need to get fucked."

"Jesus," Ian muttered as he shook his head in amusement.

They went inside to get ready, Mickey texting Curtis to tell him they'd be there. They were both excited to see what the night had in store for them.


	22. Take Me Home Tonight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Take Me Home Tonight (cover) by Every Avenue

"So you're the Ian Gallagher that's got my boy so fucked up?" Curtis teased, extending his hand out for Ian to shake it.

"Holy shit," Ian gawked at Curtis, his hand already shaky as he shook the older man's hand. 

"Right?" Mickey said quietly enough for only Ian to hear.

Curtis chuckled, "Nice to finally meet you," He looked at the bouncer at the club and nodded, the bouncer waving him through. The rapper grinned before turning back to Ian, "All about who you know, baby."

As they cut the line and entered the club, Ian immediately found himself enthralled by the music and lights and cage dancers. The club that he went to on Sunset Boulevard was definitely something he'd never seen before, but this one was even better. The music was bumping, the vibes were good, people were dancing, drinks were flowing, and Ian had the hottest date there. What more could he want?

Curtis lead them to a booth off to the side in the club, some of his friends already there waiting with a few girls that they had been talking to. Ian's jaw nearly dropped to the floor when he noticed one of the guys at the booth. Mickey nudged Ian, reminding him not to stare.

"Mick, this is Marshall. Em, this is Mick, you're new cast mate." Curtis introduced. 

Mickey was in utter shock, finding himself staring just as he told Ian not to do. Eminem laughed, raising his hand to wave at the brunet.

"What's up, man?" 

"Holy fuck," Was all Mickey could say, much like Ian, as he shook the rapper's hand. He looked at Curtis with confusion, "Did you just say cast mate?"

"Precisely," Curtis confirmed. "He's going to be the ring leader of the thugs that kill your character's family. Basically, he's the one you're after."

Ian widened his eyes in excitement, Mickey letting out a nervous laugh, "Damn. I'm _so_ fucking glad I took on this role."

Curtis laughed, walking over to the bar to get a round of shots. Mickey sat down, running a hand through his hair and Eminem glancing at his tattooed knuckles.

"What's that say?" He asked, Mickey sheepishly holding up his knuckles side by side for the older man to read. "That's fuckin' dope. Wish I would have thought to do something like that back in the day."

Mickey tried to nod nonchalantly, immediately turning to Ian and grinning, "Fucking Eminem just complimented my tattoos. Holy fucking shit."

Ian chuckled, thinking it was humbling to see Mickey so starstruck over the rapper even while the latter was currently one of the best known actors out there. It was nice to see him act this way, the evils of fame still not taking over him yet. Ian hoped that Mickey would never turn into one of those douchebag Hollywood pricks he'd read about in tabloids and articles. Or a Kardashian, equally as shallow. He also hoped he, too, could resist the evils of fame, always needing to remain humble and remember where he came from.

Curtis suddenly approached the booth with the tray of shots, each of them grabbing one. Before Ian took one, Mickey gave him a warning look. Ian disregarded the look as he downed the shot much to Mickey's expectation of defiance.

Ian felt the alcohol go right to his head, definitely top shelf and strong. He began to feel the beat of the music, tapping his hand along to the song. He looked around and noticed other celebrities as well. He shook his head in amusement. This was his life now. 

"I'm going to dance with my chick. Be back soon," Curtis said as he stood up, wrapping his arm around a tall brunette with fake breasts and a body like an hour glass.

"I've actually gotta bounce. I have a flight I need to catch. Can't wait to work with you, man. See you soon," Eminem said, shaking Mickey's hand. The rapper smiled at Ian, "Nice meeting you, Ian."

Ian nearly passed out, surprised the man remembered his name. Once the rapper left the club, it was just Ian and Mickey left at the table while the others were dancing and mingling. A cocktail waitress walked by, Ian stopping her and ordering a gin and tonic. 

"Want anything?" Ian asked.

"Jack and coke please," Mickey ordered, the waitress walking away to grab their drinks and Mickey narrowing his eyes at Ian. "Not supposed to drink on your meds if I remember correctly."

Ian softly smiled, watching the lights change colors on Mickey's face. As they strobed, Ian felt his heart skip a beat as he couldn't help but feel lucky to be with the brunet. The waitress returned quickly, dropping down their drinks. Mickey went to pull out cash, the waitress suddenly holding up her hand to stop him. She stated that Curtis opened a tab for the night and would pay for his friends' drinks. As she walked away, Ian downed the alcohol, Mickey taking a deep breath knowing he was in for an interesting night.

"Let's dance, Mick," Ian said, really starting to feel the alcohol as he stood up. Mickey raised his eyebrows before shaking his head no, taking a sip from his drink. "Oh come on, Mr. grumpy pants. Live a little! And stop looking at me with those evil fucking eyebrows."

"Not my fault I was blessed with eyebrows on fleek," Mickey teased as he took another sip.

"How about.." Ian started to say, suddenly stumbling and holding on to the table for support. He looked up at Mickey with amusement in his eyes, "That wouldn't have been a good time."

"Jesus, you're already trashed," Mickey muttered, trying to hold back laughter as Ian started to dance in place. He couldn't deny that his boyfriend was adorable, but he wasn't comfortable dancing with everyone around nor was he drunk enough. He was pretty fucked up when he danced with Ian at that other club, definitely needing to be on that level or at least the redhead's before he agreed to any more dancing.

"Indeed I am, Mick. Come on, it'll be fun! Who cares about everyone else. No one gives a fuck if we dance," Ian pleaded.

Mickey sighed, knowing this was a losing battle. He chugged his drink, grabbing another shot off of a cocktail waitresses tray and downing it, not nearly as buzzed as he wanted to be before Ian grabbed his hand and dragged him into the crowd of people on the dance floor. Ian began dancing to the music, perfectly in sync with the song. Mickey stood still awkwardly as Ian danced around him. The redhead saw another waitress walking by, taking another shot off if her tray. Before he could take another, Mickey grabbed his hand.

"Alright, Gallagher. You're cut off," Mickey said as Ian looked at him with drunken eyes, completely gone.

"You're sort of beautiful, Mick. Did you know that?"

"I'm what? Jesus fucking Christ," Mickey muttered before Ian grabbed his hands and put them on his waist. "Ian, what the fuck're you-"

"Shut up and dance, Mick," Ian ordered, moving his hips to the song and turning around to grind on his boyfriend's dick. Mickey down on his lip, lustful thoughts suddenly interrupted as he listened to the song changing.

"Are they really playing 50 Cent right now?" Mickey laughed out as he quickly searched for Curtis, Ian grabbing Mickey's tattooed hands and running them down his thighs as he continued to roll his hips against the brunet.

"And Justin Timberlake," Ian added, "Pretty sure he's what made me realize I'm gay. So fucking hot."

Mickey shook his head, moving his gaze across the club to finally spot Curtis, relishing in his own song being played. He chuckled at the sight, though, Justin Timberlake repeating 'she wants it' on the song bringing him back to Ian's infatuation of the pop star.

"Justin Timberlake, huh?" Mickey asked, Ian turning around to wrap his arms around the latter's neck and continuing to grind his hips against his boyfriend. 

"Jealous?" Ian challenged, kissing Mickey's neck.

"No. Bet Justin couldn't turn you out like I can," Mickey whispered smugly in his boyfriend's ear. 

The brunet pulled Ian closer, eliminating any space between the two, and turned Ian's body around fiercely to rub his hardening cock against the redhead's ass.

"I'm ready to go home if you are," Mickey whispered. He slid his hands down to Ian's belt, tugging at it, "Unless you wanna wait-"

Ian turned his head around, interrupting Mickey by bringing his lips to the latter's. Ian turned his body around to face Mickey, parting his lips to slide his tongue into the brunet's mouth. Mickey snickered deviously through the kiss, suddenly pulling away.

"I'll call an uber," Mickey said with gusto, immediately pulling out his phone.

They said their goodbyes to everyone at the club, lying by telling them Ian was jet lagged and needed rest, though, rest would be the last thing he'd be getting when they got home. They made their way outside as Mickey began feeling tipsy, the alcohol hitting him at once. He let out a small hiccup as Ian plopped down on the sidewalk, waiting for the uber.

"Mickey, when we get home I'm gonna fuck... I'm gonna... Shit, I think I'm gonna get sick," Ian slurred, suddenly leaning over and dry heaving.

"Fuck," Mickey whispered as he sat sat beside Ian, rubbing the redhead's back gently. "I fuckin' told you. Should have listened to-" Mickey let out another hiccup, "Me. Shouldn't drink on your meds."

Ian raised his middle finger while he continued to dry heave. Mickey shook his head and checked his phone to see that the uber was close. Ian leaned back, closing his eyes as he smiled. 

"Just wait. Tonight um gonna fuck you so hard. Y'know why? Because I'm tough as fuck now," Ian slurred, keeping his eyes closed.

Mickey let out a throaty laugh, "Oh yeah, tough guy?"

"Yep," Ian replied, standing up as he no longer felt sick for the moment. He thrusted his hips forward twice, "That's me fucking you."

Mickey let out a dry laugh, watching as Ian plopped back down.

"And this is me holding on to the fucking sidewalk. Feel like I'm spinning," Ian said, rolling his head to the side to stare at Mickey, "Still gonna fuck you, though."

Mickey shook his head, "Tell you what. How 'bout you take a nap first and _then_ you can fuck me."

Ian narrowed his eyes at the brunet, "How 'bout _you_ take a nap."

Mickey raised his eyebrows, Ian squinting at the latter, "You're a meanie."

Mickey suddenly bursted out into laughter, "Meanie? Christ."

"I take back calling you a meanie," Ian slurred, "Can we please bang when we get home now?"

Mickey shook his head in amusement, "When you wake up from your nap," Mickey teased, Ian immediately huffing and crossing his arms like a toddler. He started pouting and Mickey let out a dry laugh, "You look fuckin' ridiculous right now."

"Your face looks ridiculous right now," Ian attempted insulting the brunet, Mickey laughing sarcastically at the failed effort.

"Easy, Firecrotch. Wouldn't want you to over-exert yourself with such tremendous comebacks."

"Shh. Spinning again," Ian whispered, holding on to the edge of the sidewalk.

"That's what you get," Mickey chuckled, wrapping his arm loosely around the redhead until the uber arrived.

Mickey slowly stood up, still feeling slightly buzzed as he reached for Ian's hand to help pull him up. Once they both got into the uber, Ian turned to face Mickey in the back seat.

"How are you feeling, Spins?" Mickey asked teasingly, Ian staring silently at the brunet. 

Ian studied his boyfriend's facial features, looking the same as he remembered. Mickey said something else, Ian not hearing what was said due to being completely captivated by the latter. Not even a whole month ago, he had been lonely and broken. Now, he was healing with the love of his life by his side. He brought his hand up to Mickey's cheek, catching the him by surprise.

"Thank you for giving me another chance, Mick. Won't let you down," Ian promised.

Mickey placed his own hand on top of Ian's, letting out a small smile. "Better not." 

Ian smirked, crashing his lips to Mickey's. The brunet kissed back forcefully, having second thoughts about wanting Ian to take a nap. The uber driver ignored them making out like teenagers in the backseat for the remainder of the drive home, though, both of them truly not caring regardless. Once they made it out of the car, they stumbled inside and headed straight for the bedroom.

The redhead plopped down on the giant cloud for a bed, Mickey unbuttoning his shirt as he faced the wall.

"Fucking finally get to take that-"

Ian's snoring interrupted Mickey's lustful thoughts, the brunet turning around to see Ian out like a light. Mickey shook his head, finishing unbuttoning his shirt before walking over to the redhead and pulling the blanket over him. The latter kissed his boyfriend's forehead before taking off his pants and getting in bed beside Ian. He turned off his lamp, wrapping an arm around his sleeping boyfriend's waist.

"Night, Ian. Thank you for coming back into my life," Mickey whispered, closing his eyes and letting sleep take him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Most likely* the last update before Christmas. I hope everyone has a great holiday if you celebrate it! If not, enjoy the rest of your weekend!❤


	23. Follow Me Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Follow Me Down by 3OH!3 featuring Neon Hitch

"Lynn, you're going to kill me," Ian said, reading from his script and looking at Mandy while a few writers and producers watched their audition. 

"Do I even wanna hear this?" Mandy read, raising an eyebrow at Ian as he lowered his script.

"Probably not," Ian shrugged, leaning back in his chair.

"Dan," Mandy pressed, also lowering her script.

"Fine. You know Shelby from 16B across the hall?"

"Slutty Shelby?" Mandy asked.

Ian nodded, covering his eyes with his hands in pretend embarrassment. Mandy stood up from her chair and crossed her arms, clearing her throat as Ian spread his fingers slightly to look at her through the cracks.

"No.. Don't tell me you.." Mandy trailed off.

"Don't kill me. She said she could help me with my writing. We ended up having a little too much to drink and next thing I know-"

"You seriously fucked Slutty Shelby? Ian! _Shit,_ I meant Dan! Sorry," Mandy corrected, everyone laughing at her mistake and signaling her to go on.

The writers and producers had seen enough to know they would be going with Ian and Mandy but they still had them continue, only having two more auditions for the roles of Dan and Lynn after they finished.

 _"Dan,_ you need to get out there and..." Mandy trailed off, reaching for her script and narrowing her eyes, "You need to get out there and... _Motherfucker._ Are Dan and Lynn into eachother? If so, that's too fucking weird for me."

Ian sighed in actual embarrassment, face turning a light shade of red as the writers shook their head at her in amusement. Ian read through as much of the script as he could before doing the audition, knowing Dan and Lynn were most definitely not into eachother. Clearly, Mandy hadn't looked through it thoroughly.

"Nope, their relationship is strictly platonic. Lynn does really care for Dan, though, sometimes a little too much and possibly hurting his chances with future flings," Faith, one of the writers, stated.

Mandy huffed, "Great. So my character is secretly in love with my brother's boyfriend. Solid."

"Not any different than back in the day when you tried to jump my bones before you found out I was gay," Ian teased, clearing his throat to prepare his best teenage Mandy voice. "Oh, Ian Gallagher. You're so hot. Oh, Ian-"

"Alright we get it," Mandy snapped, everyone else laughing at their banter. 

"This is why we think you two are perfect for these roles. You have great chemistry which truly shows. Ian, your character keeps Mandy's sane. She does find love later on in the season, but at first she gets very territorial of you. Hence her questioning why you slept with 'Slutty Shelby'," Faith said, turning her gaze to look at the Milkovich, "And Mandy, your character keeps Ian's thinking logically. He wants to be this big shot writer in a crazy city, thinking he's going to be the next J.K. Rowling without putting in the time and effort. You basically kick his ass into gear, both finding yourselves along the way."

Mandy and Ian nodded, looking back at their scripts. The writer smiled at them before the producer asked if they were ready to continue. Mandy took a deep breath, preparing herself for the rest of their scene.

"Dan, you need to get out there and work your ass off. You wanna make it big? Fucking get out there and do it. And stop sleeping around with these dumb broads who don't even give a shit about you."

Ian raised an eyebrow, "How does my sex life affect my career?"

"It doesn't. But I'm sure it doesn't help if you're fucking around with bitches like Slutty Shelby," Mandy said bluntly, turning around and peeking at her script. "You should really go for that writing internship at GQ this summer. It would be a great start for you."

Ian walked over to Mandy, resting his arm around her shoulders, "You don't want me to go. You'd miss me too much."

Mandy turned around, giving _Dan_ a dirty look. "No I wouldn't."

"Yeah you would. Then who would you boss around?" 

Mandy rolled her eyes, slightly improvising by shoving Ian back instead of just rolling her eyes. The scene was over and the writers and producers clapped, very pleased with the two.

"Thank you both for taking the time to audition. You did great! I do want to go over a few things with you two," Faith said as Mandy and Ian nodded.

"First, we loved you guys. As you know, we think you're both perfect for these roles. We're going to watch the next two auditions as a standard process, but we're all pretty set on you."

Ian smiled, trying his best not to geek out. Mandy, on the other hand, squealed in excitement as Faith let out a chuckle.

"We wanted to get these screenings done by the end of September, which we clearly did. We'll start filming in November and hopefully finish in under four months as there will be a total of twelve episodes, each lasting a half hour. Any questions?"

"Yeah, you said that filming would start in November and these characters live in Manhattan," Ian started and Faith nodded. "Does that mean we'd be primarily be filming out in New York?"

Faith shook her head, "I would say 90% of filming will be here in our California studios while the other 10% will be filmed in New York. I'd say maybe less than a week's time of staying in New York."

Ian nodded, feeling relieved to not have to be away from Mickey for so long. He looked down at his script one last time, reading about his night with Shelby, suddenly thinking of another question.

"I do have one more question," Ian said, Faith nodding with a smile. "So, I see my character sleeps around. I know this will be an HBO series and I've seen those types of shows. With that being said, um, how much nudity am I signing myself up for?"

"You do have many sex scenes in this show." Faith answered nonchalantly. 

"Alright, exactly how much sex and nudity?" Ian pressed.

"A fair amount. Sex sells, Mr. Gallagher. If that's an issue, please let us know so we're able to cast someome-"

"No, it's fine. I used to be a stripper actually, so taking off my clothes isn't an issue or anything new," Ian said, instantly regretting saying anything as Faith raised a curious eyebrow. 

He knew that taking his clothes off wasn't an issue. It was wondering how upset Mickey was going to be about it. Ian had flashbacks of how jealous his boyfriend would get at the club when only a handful of men were watching. Now, the whole world would be watching, even if the sex scenes were obviously fake.

"Mandy, you also have sex scenes in this show. Is this alright with you?" Faith asked.

"I'm fine with it," Mandy shrugged.

"Alright, perfect. Do either of you have any other questions?"

Mandy and Ian shook their head no, Ian mustering up a smile still feeling unsure about the role as he knew his boyfriend was not going to be too pleased. Faith was right, sex does sell, and Ian was now joining the entertainment business that without a doubt included sex. He wondered if perhaps he was looking into it further than he needed to. Maybe Mickey wouldn't get jealous and would be fine with it. Or maybe hell would freeze over. Ian sighed, knowing this was going to be a conversation later that he definitely didn't want to have.

"Well thanks again for your time. We'll be in contact soon," Faith said, shaking Ian and Mandy's hands as they walked out of the room to see the few others waiting in the lobby to audition.

Ian immediately reached for his phone to text Mickey.

Ian (3:30PM): Pretty sure we got the parts

Mickey (3:31PM): Fuck yeah! Told you that you'd kill it

Ian (3:31PM): Yeah

Mickey (3:32PM): What's wrong?

Ian (3:32PM): Nothing. Still feeling a little foggy from last night I guess. Too much alcohol 

Mickey (3:33PM): And whose fault is that?

Ian (3:33PM): ...Guilty...

Mickey (3:34PM): I'll make you feel better later

Ian (3:34PM): Is Mickey Milkovich trying to sext me right now?

"Ian, you ready?" Mandy asked, heading outside of the production studio as Ian looked up from his phone to follow her out.

Ian stepped into Mandy's car, the brunette wanting to drive them there and back as she was tired of being constantly hauled around. Ian looked down at his phone while contemplating his new career choice. 

Mickey (3:34PM): Bitch you wish

Ian (3:38PM): ;)

Mickey (3:38PM): No.

Ian (3:39PM): So how are you gonna make me feel better later? ;)

Mickey (3:41PM): Bye.

Ian (3:41PM): :(

Mickey (3:42PM): No

Ian (3:43PM): So grumpy

Mickey (3:44PM): Be home soon. Our auditions just ended

Ian (3:45PM): Can't wait to see you

"I'm so fucking excited!" Mandy exclaimed, Ian placing the phone down on his lap.

"Yeah," Ian answered softly, Mandy turning to look at him in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Ian lied as he glanced up at Mandy.

Mandy glared at Ian quickly while also trying to focus on the road, "I'm not dumb. Spill."

"It's just, I don't know, I'm kind of iffy about the whole acting thing."

Mandy narrowed her eyes at him, "This better not have anything to do with my brother."

"It may."

Mandy sighed, "Ian, Mickey plays straight characters on-"

"What? No. I'm not iffy about playing a straight character. I'm iffy about the nudity and how Mickey's gonna react to it."

Mandy raised an eyebrow, "You do realize he's had to do sex scenes that millions of people have seen, right? Christ, his first movie was practically a high budget soft porno."

Ian narrowed his eyes at her, Mandy shrugging in response, "Well, maybe that's an exaggeration. But still. I really wouldn't worry about it. You've seen how he-"

"I never watched any of his movies," Ian interrupted, his heart slightly aching as he thought back to his life less than a month ago without Mickey in it. "Too hard to watch. I saw part of a trailer for his newest movie but that was it."

"That one has sex in it, too," Mandy answered bluntly. "You know how fucking weird it is for me to sit through a really good movie and then out of no where watching my brother pretend to get down with someone? Fucking traumatizing is all I can say."

Ian snickered, suddenly wanting to watch his boyfriend's sex scenes imagining how hot they probably are, "Maybe I'm just over thinking then."

"I think you are. He did it, so can you. It's not like you're doing a porn. It's fake. People might even get a glimpse of your ass, but that's it. I really couldn't see this being a deal breaker in your relationship. Mickey knows how the business works. You're both not the same as you were five-plus years ago. You've both matured. It's going to be fine."

Ian nodded, feeling reassurance. He hoped she was right, deciding to shift his focus on the positive.

"Holy shit, we're actually going to be on a TV show. I'm pretty excited," Ian admitted, laughing at Mandy's over enthusiasm as she began bouncing up and down in her seat.

"Me too!" Mandy exclaimed, accidentally swerving into the opposite lane and almost hitting another car. "Watch where you're driving, asshole!" She yelled out of the window, Ian shaking his head in amusement.

He turned to gaze out his window taking in the city as they made their way home. The redhead rolled down the window, relishing in the warmth of the city unlike chilly Chicago. Although the September air was warm in Los Angeles, Ian could still sense a coldness there that had nothing to do with the weather. His thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing, the redhead answering it immediately.

"Hello?"

"Hi, is this Ian?"

"Yes, speaking?"

"Hi, it's Faith. We didn't end up having the last pair audition as we were so set on you and Mandy. Normally, casting is such a process. But I wanted to inform you and Mandy that you got the part! Do you accept?"

Ian grinned, quickly covering the phone and looking at Mandy, "We got it!" He whispered with excrement, the brunette grinning and continuing to dance in her seat.

"That's awesome news! Yes, we accept."

"Great. We'll be in touch for the promo photo shoot, fittings, the table read, you know, all that jazz."

Ian didn't know 'all that jazz' but he was thrilled to find out.

"Thank you so much! Mandy's next to me dancing like an idiot," Ian teased, Faith laughing and Mandy holding up her middle finger as she continued to dance with excitement.

"Thank you both for your talents. We look forward to working with you."

Once Faith hung up, Ian and Mandy screamed. It literally felt like a dream, most people ever dreaming to be on television and never having the reality of doing so. Ian never ever thought he'd be this lucky, realizing how grateful he was to have Mickey back in his life and now have an opportunity of a life time. He couldn't be happier as he continued to dance with joy beside Mandy, the Lynn to his Dan.


	24. Desire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Desire by Meg Myers

Once Mandy and Ian returned to their home, Ian went upstairs and plopped down on the California king bed waiting for Mickey to come home. While he waited, he replayed everything that happened at the audition screening in his head. He was torn between excitement and fear, not exactly sure of how any of the entertainment business worked, though, excited to learn. He pulled out his phone, suddenly remembering Mandy telling him about her brother having sex scenes in some of his movies. 

Purely out of curiosity, he tried searching on Google 'Mickey Milkovich sex scenes'. Most results were only photo stills until Ian stumbled upon a fanmade video compilation of all Mickey's steamy scenes on YouTube by username MickeysHot1999, avatar picture of a teenage girl with heavily applied makeup. Ian narrowed his eyes at the username, wondering if the 1999 in the girl's username who made the compilation video indicated the year she was born. He shook his head, finding it amusing that so many girls wanted his gay boyfriend. He clicked the video, instantly covering his face and proceeding to watch the brunet on screen with caution.

Mandy was right, it wasn't porn therefore they weren't really having sex, though, it sure looked real as Ian watched the brunet pretending to fuck his co star. Ian lowered his hand from his face, finding himself less panicked to watch as the camera shots remained on their faces and were quick to cut away. He noticed that Mickey may have a pretty good pretending- to- be-aroused face, but it was nothing like what he's seen in person. Genuine arousal.

The scene switched to another movie the latter was in, camera panning on Mickey leaning against a glass slider door shirtless and watching the rain falling down intently. Ian loved how the contrast of the shot along with the reflection from outside made the brunet's eyes extraordinarily blue.

Some tall girl with long dirty blond hair suddenly appeared in the shot, wearing only an oversized white button up shirt, Ian assuming it was Mickey's character's shirt. The girl paced over to the latter and shoved him hard. She began yelling at him for something, though, Ian wasn't really sure what she was saying as all of his attention was drawn to his boyfriend, thinking how enticing he looked. The girl continued to yell angrily and Mickey interrupted her by grabbing her and kissing her aggressively.

Seeing Mickey make out with one of his very attractive co stars, even being a female, turned Ian on more than he thought it would. The brunet appeared to be so dominant, Ian wondering if he'd like to be the one who was dominated for once. He licked his lips as he watched Mickey nearly shove his co star down onto the bed, holding her hands above her head and getting on top of her. Ian wished he was that girl, watching her roll around in bed with the brunet. 

Mickey turned her over in the scene, about to pretend fuck her, Ian instantly sliding his hand down his pants. He couldn't help himself, watching how sexy his boyfriend looked on screen. The bedroom door opened and Ian immediately looked up with wide eyes, startled to find Mickey standing there and furrowing his brow at Ian's expression on his face. He glanced down at the redhead's hand in his pants and glanced back up at Ian with confusion.

"The fuck're you..." Mickey started, suddenly hearing his own voice murmuring something naughty out of Ian's phone. The redhead held his startled gaze on Mickey as he attempted to close out the video discretely. "Oh my _God._ Please turn that the _fuck_ off. Jesus," Mickey huffed, face turning crimson as Ian fumbled with the phone trying to turn off the video.

The sounds of Mickey moaning and grunting coming from the speakers of Ian's phone made the brunet walk over to the bed, grabbing the device from Ian's hands to turn off the video. He tossed the phone onto the bed and glanced up at his boyfriend who grabbed the device to put it back in his pocket.

"Why the fuck would you want to watch that?" Mickey asked.

Ian immediately changed his demeanor, crawling forward on their bed and pulling Mickey on top of him, taking the latter by surprise.

"So fucking hot," Ian breathed out as he nipped at Mickey's ear.

"Wait, what?" Mickey pulled away, leaning over the redhead.

"I thought it would be weird to watch you pretend to have sex with other people but holy fuck, I was wrong," Ian admitted, Mickey raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"It's not like it was real. Pretending to bang a chick wasn't-"

"No. Not that. You being so _rough_ with her..." Ian trailed off, the brunet slightly cocking his head to the side, remembering the movie sscene he was referring to.

"Thought you liked to be the one in control," Mickey murmured, leaning down on the redhead to kiss the crook his neck.

"I do. I mean, I..fuck," Ian breathed out, distracted by Mickey's kissing and sucking on his neck.

Mickey pulled away, moving off of the bed while keeping his gaze on the redhead. Ian instantly got up, feeling himself drawn to his boyfriend like a magnet. Mickey pulled Ian closer, crashing his lips to the latter's as he eagerly raked his fingers through red hair. The brunet walked Ian into his dresser, Ian grunting into the kiss as his back hit the wooden drawers.

"So you want it rough," Mickey murmured into Ian's ear and nibbling at it, the redhead feeling himself coming undone as the latter slid his hand down over his bulge.

"Fuck. I wanna fuck you right fucking now is what I want," Ian whispered, Mickey grabbing Ian's hands and placing them on his ass.

"Too fucking bad," Mickey murmured, voice sounding sultry as he pushed his body against Ian's beginning to teasingly dry hump him while the redhead pulled the latter's face to his own, kissing him sloppily.

Ian's want soon turned into a need. He pulled away from their kiss, pupils blown as he lowered himself down to his knees, running his hands down the brunet's perfect body. Ian held his gaze on Mickey's, without hesitation, unbuttoning and unzipping the latter's jeans. The brunet licked his lips as Ian pulled the man's jeans and boxers down with haste. Ian immediately took him into his mouth, never breaking his gaze with Mickey's as he sucked and licked. The brunet closed his eyes to the euphoric feeling, Ian immediately stopping.

"Eyes on me," the redhead ordered, Mickey obliging and opening his eyes as he watched Ian sucking him down.

"Shit," Mickey moaned out, stopping Ian to pull him into a sloppy kiss. "Need you on me right now."

"Want you to ride my cock like a fucking slut," Ian said through the kiss, Mickey instantly stepping out of his jeans and boxers as he picked up Ian and walked him to the bed.

The brunet dropped Ian onto the bed before pulling off his shirt, now standing completely naked. Ian felt his mouth water as he took in his boyfriend's beautiful body, slightly different than he remembered. More muscular and tattoos covering areas of his soft pale skin that weren't there years ago. He looked confident which Ian found incredibly sexy, loving to see his boyfriend so full of life.

Mickey stepped forward, pulling the redhead's shirt off. Ian kept his eyes locked on Mickey's, taking off his own jeans and boxers and pulling the brunet on top of him. As Mickey straddled the redhead, Ian sat up to wrap his arms around the latter's waist, the brunet leaning forward and bringing his hand behind Ian's head to pull him in for a kiss.

"Lube's in the night stand right next to you," Mickey urged through soft kisses, trailing his mouth down to Ian's neck as the redhead readily reached for the lube in the drawer.

Ian opened the bottle, squeezing some onto his fingers as mickey continued to kiss his neck. He felt desire wave over him, craving the brunet more than he realized.

"Up," Ian urged, Mickey pulling away and looking into lustful green eyes.

"Thought you wanted me to-"

"Shut the fuck up and sit up," Ian pressed.

"So fucking bossy," Mickey rumbled as he sat up, Ian placing two lube-slicked fingers below the latter's ass.

"Sit," Ian ordered, Mickey complying to the request and slowly sitting down into Ian's fingers, softly sighing as he did so.

Once the initial burning sensation passed, Mickey sat down as far as he could, Ian smirking at the latter's facial expressions of pleasure and arousal. _Nothing_ like the movies.

"Fuck my hand until you're ready," Ian demanded, Mickey starting to slide himself up and down on Ian's fingers, softly moaning as moved. 

Ian felt his cock hardening as he watched the brunet bounce up and down on his fingers, biting down on his lip and wanting to finally feel him. _Needing_ to feel him. Mickey gripped Ian's hair, tugging hard as he began to feel prepared for the redhead. 

"Ready," Mickey breathed out in Ian's ear, the readhead smirking as he removed his fingers from the latter's hole.

Mickey sat up as Ian applied more lube onto his hand, slicking up his cock and holding Mickey's waist. Ian looked down and then back up to Mickey, the brunet looking at him with anticipation. 

"You gonna fuckin' stare at me all day or you gonna fuck me?" Mickey huffed, Ian clearing his throat before answering. 

"You want me to wear, um.."

"No," Mickey answered. "I always used a condom. Unless you didn't."

"I did, too. You're the only I never wore one with," Ian confessed, Mickey licking his lips as he stared into the redhead's eyes.

"So then why the fuck are you still talking?"

Ian raised an eyebrow, guiding Mickey's hips so that the latter's ass was directly above his now leaking cock. The brunet slowly sat down, sighing as he started taking in Ian's length. 

"Fuck. Feels so fucking good, Mick," Ian murmured, the latter leaning forward to then sit back down on the redhead's dick.

Ian gripped Mickey's hips tighter, moving the latter up and down at a steady pace, Mickey clawing into Ian's back as the pain turned to pleasure.

"Missed this," Mickey breathed out, moving his head to bring his lips to the redhead's.

"Missed you," Ian responded, breaking from the kiss to let his lips linger on Mickey's, their breathing getting heavier. 

"Fuck me harder," Mickey ordered, the words nearly sending Ian over the edge as he thrusted his hips up forcefully, Mickey sitting down hard and moving the pace quicker as they both neared an orgasm.

"I love you," Ian whispered, catching Mickey off guard, slightly slowing down the pace.

The words were what Mickey had always wanted to hear, though, never hearing them at the right time in the past. He picked up the pace, riding Ian until he came hard, making a mess on the redhead's chest. Ian came immediately after, holding Mickey as he finished by lightly thrusting a few more times. They both remained still, panting heavily as they started to catch their breath.

"I love you too, Gallagher," Mickey promised, as he leaned his forehead into the crook of Ian's neck.

Ian smiled softly, gently running his hands through dark hair as Mickey finally caught his breath and brought his gaze onto the redhead's. He kissed Ian gingerly, suddenly groaning into the kiss as they both smelled something burning. 

"For motherfucking fuck's sakes. Mandy!" Mickey yelled angrily, slowly sitting up to get off of Ian's dick, crinkling his nose at the feeling causing Ian to snicker.

"Jesus, haven't had anyone that big fuck me in quite some time," Mickey muttered, finally making it off of Ian and walking over to where his clothes were. "This bitch needs to learn how to order a goddamn pizza."

Ian chuckled, eyes suddenly glued to Mickey's perfect ass, looking exactly how he remembered. 

"You really should be an ass model. I swear, you have the holy grail of asses," Ian praised, Mickey holding up his middle finger as he quickly threw on his clothes and left the room to scold his sister.

Ian laid down on the bed, feeling like he was on cloud nine. Literally. He turned over on his side to see a framed picture of Mickey holding up some sort of award, smiling bright enough for Ian to feel the warmth of it through the photograph. He couldn't wait for that to be him someday, winning awards, meeting exciting people and getting to travel, all with Mickey by his side. He still couldn't believe how his life turned this direction, though, forever grateful it had. 

His peaceful thoughts were suddenly interrupted by sounds of yelling and hostility, Ian rolling his eyes and leaving the bedroom to mediate the angry Milkovich siblings.

"Why do you yell at me every time I try to cook something?" Mandy asked, raising her voice.

"Because I was in the middle of fucking my boyfriend who I haven't fucked in five years! Christ. Stop fucking cooking, you constantly burn shit."

Ian watched in amusement as Mandy threw a carrot at her brother, the redhead letting out a laugh as Mickey dodged it and stood up to toss it back at her.

"The fuck're you throwing vegetables at me for?"

"Fuck you! I can cook if I want to!"

Ian stepped down the stairs to enter the kitchen, getting infront of Mandy who was ready to launch a potato at her brother.

"Easy, put the," Ian couldn't help but let out a small laugh, "Put the potato down."

"Tell the fuckin' bootleg version Martha Stewart over here to learn how to call for takeout and to stay far the fuck away from the kitchen," Mickey snapped, Mandy still managing to throw the potato at him. "Christ! And tell her to stop abusing me with fucking vegetables!"

Ian shook his head in amusement as he looked up at Mandy, "Mands, let's just order takeout. Maybe you can take a cooking class, yeah?"

Mandy sighed heavily and nodded, Ian grinning in response and turning to face the other Milkovich, "Mickey, maybe you should stop yelling at Mandy-"

"Ay, I'm gonna keep yelling as long as she keeps trying to burn us to the ground."

Ian shrugged, glancing at Mandy. "Fair enough."

"Fine," Mandy said in defeat as she pulled out the pan of charred vegetables from the oven.

Ian held in more laughter as the vegetables were burnt to a black crisp, pulling out his phone to order pizza. He was oddly reminded of home in Chicago, having a similar experience with Debbie not too long ago. He dismissed the thoughts and continued to order the pizza before stepping outside by the pool to have a cigarette, Mickey following him out.

"Not supposed to smoke, Mandy says," Ian tsked, Mickey taking a long drag and exhaling the smoke in the redhead's face.

"Mandy also says she can cook," Mickey retorted.

"Touche`."

Ian grabbed the cigarette from his boyfriend, taking a drag as he gazed at the moon.

"I got the part for certain," Ian said, Mickey's face lighting up.

"That's fucking awesome! I told you, you had nothing to worry about."

"Yeah," Ian muttered, taking another drag.

"You're not happy?" Mickey asked, Ian sighing in response.

"No, I am. There's a lot of nudity and sex and shit. I dunno.." Ian trailed off.

Mickey furrowed his brow, reaching for the cigarette, "You used to strip. You're worried about people seeing you on the big screen?" Mickey teased, Ian flipping him off in response.

"I used to _dance,_ fuck you very much. And no, I was worried about what you would think."

"Dance while removing clothes and giving lap dances," Mickey corrected bluntly, inhaling the smoke. "I don't care that you have those scenes. You've clearly seen mine you fuckin' perv," Mickey teased.

Ian rolled his eyes and grabbed the cigarette, "I don't know. This whole thing is so new to me. It's weird to think about honestly."

"Well don't worry about me getting mad or something if you have to pretend to bang someone on screen. You come home to me at the end of the day, what more could I ask for?"

Ian smiled softly, feeling a weight lifting off of his shoulders. Mickey glanced up at him, noticing the redhead's look of relief.

"Ian, we're not the same people who we were years ago. I'm not gonna get mad over shit like that. It is what it is, and this is the entertainment business," Mickey said, Ian nodding before the brunet continued, "You're finally mine again, and that's the shit that matters to me."

The redhead grinned, exhaling smoke before speaking, "Did you just call me Ian?"

"Instead of?" Mickey asked, reaching for the cigarette.

"Gallagher. Or any other ridiculous nicknames you always seem come up with," Ian replied with a chuckle, Mickey narrowing his eyes.

"Fuck off, Firecrotch."

"There he is," Ian retorted, looking back up at the moon. "Maybe things haven't changed as much as you think."

"Maybe," Mickey said quietly, exhaling the smoke as he also looked up at the moon, wrapping his arm around Ian's waist.


	25. Lay You Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Lay You Down by G-Unit 
> 
>  
> 
> **Three weeks have passed in the storyline from the last update**

"You wanna know what I think," Ian slurred, arm draped around Mandy as they walked through the crowded venue to celebrate their first table read for their television show.

"What do you think?" Mandy answered, laughing as Ian began to dance beside her, grabbing her hand and beginning to sing loudly.

"I want it that way... Tell me why!" Ian shouted.

"Ain't nothin' but a heartache," Mandy sang along through laughter.

"Tell me why!" Ian sang.

"Ain't nothin' but a mistake!" Mandy shouted back, both laughing as they continued to drunkenly sing Backstreet Boys.

A few of their cast mates joined them to sing along, Ian finding himself accidentally stumbling into Adam, an aspiring actor from Massachusetts who played Mandy's character's eventual love interest.

"Sorry about that, man," Ian apologized while keeping his gaze on Mandy, both Adam and Mandy holding Ian up while he caught his balance.

"It's all good," Adam chuckled, shaking his head to move his wispy bangs out of his green eyes. "I'm used to getting hit. I did MMA for basically my whole life and professionally throughout the last few years."

"What's MMA?" Mandy asked.

"Mixed martial arts," Adam answered, Ian squinting up at the brunet as he started to feel the room spinning.

Mandy bit her lip as she drank in Adam's appearance, "No wonder your body's built like a-"

"Holy shit. This fucker has the same hair color as Mickey!" Ian interrupted as he glanced up at Adam before moving his gaze to Mandy.

Mandy rolled her eyes in response to Ian's unintentional cockblocking, "Yup. Black isn't an uncommon hair color, Ian."

"No, but it's longer than Mick's," Ian slurred as he stared at Adam's hair, the brunet laughing at Ian squinting. 

"Jesus," Mandy muttered. 

"Mickey your boyfriend or something?" Adam asked, Ian's face lighting up to the question.

"Yes! He's fucking amazing. He's been in Detroit for two weeks doing photo shoots and shit for his new show. He's gonna be here soon, I think," Ian looked over at Mandy who was now eye-fucking Adam. "Can you text Mickey and ask when he'll be here?"

She sighed and nodded, pulling out her phone to text her brother and releasing her grip on Ian causing him to shift his weight into Adam.

Mandy (8:36PM): When are you coming? Ian's pretty much trashed lol

Mandy's phone suddenly rang and she pressed her hand against her ear before holding the phone up to the other to answer. She walked towards the bathroom where it was less noisy to answer the call.

"Mick?"

"Hey, I'm driving. Didn't wanna text and drive," Mickey started to say as Mandy scoffed. "What?"

"You used to be a fucking thug, for fuck's sakes, and now you're worried about shooting a quick text at a stop light."

"Ay, fuck you. Safety first, bitch. Now put Ian on the phone. I haven't seen him in two weeks and I haven't talked to him since yesterday morning. He kept calling when I was either asleep or working."

"Not my fault that you're a shitty boyfriend for not making time for Ian," Mandy chastised.

"Shitty? Fuck you! Put him on."

Mandy glanced up to see Adam practically dragging Ian to the couch area as the redhead was completely gone. She shook her head before answering.

"Adam's helping him sit down and shit. He's really-"

"Who the fuck's Adam?" Mickey interrupted.

"Our co star. He's a sweetheart. I'll probably try banging him by the end of the night since Lip's a fuckhead and cheated on me with sluts at college. Fuck Lip and his stupid fucking-"

"Fuck your relationship issues and put Ian on," Mickey demanded, Mandy rolling her eyes and walking over to Ian and Adam.

"Hi Mands. You also have the same hair color as Mickey," Ian said, both Mandy and Adam shaking their head in response.

"He's keeps pointing out everyone who has black colored hair to say that it's the same color as yours," Mandy laughed into the phone, Ian's eyes instantly lighting up and reaching for the phone.

Ian grabbed the device and fell back into Adam as they sat on the couch, Mandy sitting beside them.

"Baby!" Ian cried drunkenly into the phone.

"Fuck, I missed you," Mickey said quietly, voice sounding meaningful.

"Mickey, you know what?"

"What?" Mickey asked, lightly chuckling as he could tell his boyfriend was clearly inebriated.

"Mandy and Adam have black hair like yours," Ian slurred, looking up at Adam with a smile. "But your eyes aren't blue like Mickey's. They're green. Holy shit, I have green eyes too!"

Adam glanced at Mandy before letting out a laugh as Ian sprawled out on the couch, legs on Mandy's lap and head on Adam's lap.

"Who're you talkin' to?" Mickey asked, voice sounding annoyed.

"Adam. He's really cool. He's our cast mate and he does MMA fighting like that guy from the UFC you met. You know, the one that you have a picture with-"

"Yeah, Conor McGregor," Mickey answered short.

"Are you alright, Mick?" Ian asked.

"I'm fine. Be there in ten minutes," Mickey said before hanging up.

"Hello?" Ian said in confusion, furrowing his brow as he brought the phone down to see the call had ended. "He hung up on me?"

Mandy shrugged, reaching for the phone and standing up. She turned her gaze to Adam, staring at him with flirty eyes.

"I'm getting a drink. Want one?" She asked Adam.

"I do," Ian slurred, eyes closed as he raised his hand up in the air.

"That's gonna be a hard no from me," Mandy answered, the redhead flipping her off in response and causing Adam to laugh. "Adam, want a drink?"

"A beer would be great. Thanks," the brunet answered as Mandy smiled before walking to the bar.

Adam looked down at Ian, "You alright down there?"

"Yeah. I think I'm gonna take a nap," Ian amswered, keeping his eyes closed as Adam glanced back at the bar to see Mandy waiting to order a the drinks.

One of the cocktail waitresses walked by, stopping as she noticed Ian passed out on Adam's lap.

"Is he okay?" She asked, Adam nodding with a grin.

"Yeah, too much to drink."

She smiled back at him, suddenly realization striking her. 

"Is that Ian Gallagher?"

Adam nodded in response and the waitress lit up, excitement in her eyes.

"I _love_ Ian! I started following him on Twitter and shit after I read about him dating Mickey. He's so awesome. I can't wait to see the new show!"

Adam chuckled, "Well, we're excited for you to see it."

The waitress furrowed her brow, "Wait, 'we' as in?"

"I'm also gonna be on that show as well as Mandy Milkovich over there at the bar. We all can't wait for you guys to see it," Adam responded with a smile.

The waitress let out a sigh in relief, "I thought you meant 'we' as in Ian and Mickey broke up and you were dating Ian now, no offence. They're one of my favorite couples in LA! So fucking adorable."

Adam smiled softly, "Nope. We're not dating, he just happened to fall asleep in my lap."

"Well, it was nice talking to you, Mr...?"

"Breck. Adam Breck."

The waitress smiled, "Nice meeting you Adam."

Once she walked away, Ian opened one eye and attempted to sit up, though, deciding to stay down as he still slightly had the spins.

"You alright down there?" Adam asked.

"Dude, you should totally go for that waitress," Ian suggested, Adam glancing off into the distance mindlessly and chuckling.

"I, uh, sort of might be in to someone else," Adam answered, Ian opening his other eye to look up at Adam.

"Don't leave me hangin'. Who," Ian hiccupped before finishing his sentence, "Is it?"

Adam moved his gaze down to Ian, Mandy returning from the bar before he could answer.

"Ian, Mick's here!" Mandy exclaimed, Ian instantly sitting up as Mandy handed Adam a beer and sat down beside them. 

"Where?" Ian asked, hiccuping immediately after.

"Outside," Mandy said, Ian heading for the exit to meet his boyfriend.

"I'm gonna go make sure he doesn't fall and break his leg or something," Adam said, standing up and following Ian before Mandy could protest.

As predicted, Ian tripped on his way out the door, Adam right behind him to hold the redhead up. Ian hiccupped through his laughter, Adam chuckling as he held the latter to steady him. Ian took a step forward, his legs feeling like jello as he stumbled. A bouncer, body muscular and head completely shaved, noticed the two and narrowed his eyes at them.

"Sir, he's not coming back in here like-"

"Yo, baldy. I need to get back in there to see my boyfriend. He's probably inside now, waiting for me," Ian snapped, trying to break free of Adam's hold but failing miserably.

"I'm sorry, man. I've got him, we're good," Adam said to the bouncer, the man nodding in response before returning his attention to the door.

Ian turned his head to face Adam, glaring at the brunet, "I need to get in there! Mickey's probably-"

"The fuck're you doing?" 

Ian turned his head to see Mickey standing a few feet away from him. Mickey instantly sized Adam up, Adam having about 5 inches on him and was definitely bigger muscle wise. 

"Mick," Ian slurred, stepping forward and stumbling into his boyfriend's arms.

The brunet immediately wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, tossing his cigarette to the ground and inhaling Ian's scent of another man's cologne, knowing very well how Ian's smelled. Mickey looked up to dead pan Adam.

"Why does my boyfriend smell like another fuckin' dude?" 

"Mick, it's fine. He was just-"

"I didn't ask you," Mickey interrupted the redhead, stepping aside from Ian to walk closer to Adam, "I asked a question."

"I didn't mean any harm, man. He was super fucking drunk off of, like, one beer and a couple shots. He was stumbling around and he-"

"Listen, Aaron," Mickey said, letting his inner Southside thug of Chicago take over.

"Adam," Ian corrected, Mickey turning around to shoot a glare at his boyfriend before turning back to Adam, taking another step closer.

"I don't care if you're Dwayne the fuckin' Rock Johnson himself. You ever touch Ian again, I'll fucking break your jaw."

"I didn't touch him. He's the one who fell into me and laid his head down in my lap," Adam retorted, Mickey gritting his teeth in response.

Ian put a hand on Mickey's arm, "Baby, relax. He's not even gay."

Mickey let out a humorless laugh, "Is that so? Could have fooled me." 

Adam ran his fingers through his hair in embarassment, Ian keeping his gaze on Mickey.

"Let's go home, Mick," Ian pleaded, feeling himself sobering up from the high tension.

"You straight, Adam?" Mickey asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm uh.."

"Mickey, what are you doing?" Mandy scolded, crossing her arms as she narrowed her eyes at her brother.

"Oh, I was just trying to figure out why a _straight_ dude was all over my fucking boyfriend," Mickey snapped, turning his gaze back to Adam. "You were saying?"

Adam cleared his throat, "I'm openly bisexual. But I wasn't hitting on Ian, I swear."

Mickey smiled sarcastically before leaning in closer to Adam, "Remember what I said."

"Mickey, enough!" Mandy snapped.

"GI Joe over here won't do shit. Doesn't have the balls," Mickey tested, Adam's face turning red in anger as the brunet pushed his buttons.

"C'mon, Mick. Let's just go home," Ian repeated, Mickey holding his taunting gaze to Adam.

"Please take a step back," Adam ordered calmly.

"Or what?" Mickey challenged.

"Mick, Stop," Mandy pressed, stepping closer to her brother. "He was a professional fighter. He would probably-"

"You wanna hit me? Fuckin' do it. I don't care how jacked you are. I'll knock you the fuck out," Mickey threatened, Adam balling his fists and tensing his muscles. 

Ian immediately stepped infront of Mickey to get in between the two raging men, Mandy standing infront of Adam.

"I'm not trying to fight you, but if you keep this shit up-"

"Mickey, let's go!" Mandy urged, interrupting Adam as the paparazzi suddenly approached the altercation.

"Mickey, what's going on?" A paparazzo asked.

Mickey held his gaze to Adam's for one more moment, totally ignoring everyone else including the paparazzi, before speaking, "I see right through that 'I'm so fucking innocent' bullshit you're trying to front. I fucking see you, Alan."

"Adam," Ian corrected through a sigh. "Can we go now, please? They're taking pictures."

Mickey glanced up at the paparazzi as their cameras flashed.

"Fuck," Mickey muttered under his breath as he finally realized that he was being watched.

"Guys, you're gonna need to take this circus somewhere other than in front of the club or else I'm calling the cops," The bouncer threatened, everyone nodding in response.

"Adam, what happened with Mickey?" The same paparazzo asked, Adam ignoring him.

"Ian! Congratulations on the new show! So many people are already talking about you," Paparazzo number two said, Ian half-assing a smile before turning around to walk away and grabbing Mickey with him.

"I'm really sorry about this," Mandy said sincerely to Adam, putting a hand on his arm briefly before walking towards her brother and Ian.

Adam stared at the three of them as they walked away, ignoring the paparazzi and keeping his fists balled until Ian and the Milkoviches were out of sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, everyone!


	26. Am I A Psycho

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Am I A Psycho? by Tech N9ne Featuring B.o.B and Hopsin

Mickey glanced over at Ian who was fast asleep beside him in their bed. The brunet reached for his phone, the time reading 6:53am. He sighed quietly and opened up his social media out of habit, scrolling through Twitter mindlessly. An idea struck him, though, made him feel slightly insecure. Before he had time to really contemplate, he found himself scrolling through Adam's Twitter account. Next thing he knew, he was creeping almost a year deep into the man's account, scrutinizing his tweets and finding every little thing possible to nit-pick.

Ian began to move, Mickey closed out Twitter and froze in place until the redhead fell back asleep nestled up against the latter. Normally, Mickey would wrap his arm around Ian and let sleep take him until either the redhead woke up or the god-awful smell of Mandy's next disasterpiece in the kitchen would wake him. Instead, he went back on his phone to scope out Adam. Mickey noticed there was a tweet from the man about a minute ago, Mickey clicking on it to read.

 **Adam Breck** @Adam_Breck • 1m  
Funny how people only want u for ur money

 **Adam Breck** @Adam_Breck • 1m  
Money doesn't buy happiness. Nor does it buy 'love'. Lotta fake couples in LA. But that's none of my business

 _Is this motherfucker subtweeting me?_ Mickey thought to himself as he succumbed to Adam's behavior, stooping to his level by clicking his home page and drafting a tweet. He didn't even think twice before posting, smirking as he re-read what he wrote.

 **Mickey Milkovich** @therealmickeym • 1m  
It's funny when a nobody thinks he's better than me but could never be where I'm at. #GetOnMyLevelBitch

He instantly had notifications from fans, mostly girls, acknowledging his success and telling him how great he was. And of course, how attractive he was which always made him shudder at the thought of people thinking he looked good. He smiled with satisfaction until he noticed Adam tweeted again.

 **Adam Breck** @Adam_Breck • 1m  
When a 'big shot' celebrity subtweets you because he's clearly butthurt. #IAintEvenMadTho

Mickey got out of bed, reaching for his cigarettes in the night stand and opening the bedroom door before accidentally slamming it shut behind him out of frustration. He paced down the stairs and went into the kitchen, heading outside to have a smoke by the pool. The sun was rising and the air was already warm, just the way Mickey liked it as he lit the cigarette and sat beside the pool. 

He gazed down at the water as he inhaled the nicotine, suddenly chuckling darkly at his twisted thoughts of imagining what Adam would look like being held under the clear blue water. His dark thoughts were interrupted by Mandy stepping outside and slamming the slider door shut.

"The fuck, Mick! It's seven in the morning and you're being so goddamn loud," Mandy scolded, crossing her arms and glaring at her brother.

"Adam's a fucking dick head," Mickey retorted, ignoring his sister's noise complaint as he continued to inhale the smoke and stare at the pool.

"Jesus, here we go again. Last night was literally nothing. I have no idea how many times we're gonna tell you-"

"He thinks he's better than me and that I bought Ian's love. This motherfucker actually has no fuckin' clue what he's talking about."

Mandy furrowed her brow, "What? Did he say something to you before I came outside last night?"

Mickey placed the cigarette between his lips, reaching in his pocket to pull out his phone and bringing up Adam's Twitter account to show his sister. He held out the phone, Mandy grabbing it and reading the tweets. She raised an eyebrow and looked at her brother incredulously.

"Are you serious right now?" She asked, Mickey nodding in response. Mandy let out a humorless laugh, "Does he say, _'Mickey Milkovich thinks he's better than me and bought Ian's love',_ anywhere on this page?"

Mickey glared at her, "Didn't have to. I know this fucker's talking about me. He even tweeted after I did like a prick."

"Mickey Milkovich eight minutes ago," Mandy narrated, clearing her throat to mock Mickey's voice, "It's funny when a nobody thinks he's better than me but could never be where I'm at. Hash tag, get on my level bitch."

Mickey glanced to the side, realizing it may have been a bit childish to tweet that. He exhaled the smoke, putting the cigarette out on the cement and rubbing the heel of his hand against his face.

"Ha, I love how Adam said you were butthurt. It's funny and true," Mandy said through laughter.

Mickey clicked his tongue before grabbing the phone from her. "He just rubs me the wrong way, Mandy. I don't get how you guys don't see it. He's gives me a bad fuckin' feeling. If he wasn't into Ian then why would he be all over him? That's fuckin' sketch behavior if you ask me."

Mandy rolled her eyes, "Mick, Adam's a sweetheart. He doesn't want your boyfriend and I don't believe his tweets were about you. Well, the one about you being butthurt definitely was," Mandy said through morenlaughter, Mickey staring at her completely unamused. She sighed before continuing, "Why do you always gotta act like a psycho ex-girlfriend with a vendetta when you get jealous?"

"Jealous? I ain't fuckin' jealous," Mickey answered bluntly, moving his gaze back to the pool.

"Yeah, okay. And I don't enjoy vexing you for fun," Mandy retorted.

"Didn't know your vocabulary surpassed a third grade level. Saying shit like _vexing,"_ Mickey chastised, Mandy flipping him off before he continued on. "Seriously, though. I have nothing to be jealous about. Dude's a loser from east bumfuck Massachusetts who got lucky landing a mediocre role."

"Says the kid who grew up in the fucking ghetto and happened to be at the right place at the right time to land his first role," Mandy challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"Ay, whose side are you on here?" Mickey asked as Mandy rolled her eyes.

"All I'm saying is that Adam isn't a bad guy. I'm kind of into him, Mick, and I don't want you fucking it up for me."

"You're seriously fuckin' blind, dude. He's definitely into Ian and I swear to Christ if you bring him around here, I won't be holding back like I did last night."

Mandy shook her head in disbelief, "He's six feet tall. You're five foot seven. He was a professional fighter. You were a _'professional'_ delinquent. Shall I go on?"

Mickey scoffed, "un-fucking-believable. I could take him in a fight. There were guys like him in juvie that I beat the shit out of, bitch."

"You fought other delinquents, not guys who have been trained to lay you the fuck out at the drop of a hat. I'm sorry, but I wouldn't push Adam."

"I'll fucking show you. Just 'cause I'm not pissing my life away in the Southside anymore, doesn't mean that I don't know how to handle my shit like I did back in Chicago. I think everyone forgets that," Mickey sniffed, bringing his knuckle up to his nose before staring off in the distance. 

Mandy sat beside her brother, sighing heavily. "So, what, are you just gonna watch Ian 24/7 to make sure no guys are talking to him?"

"No. I'm not his fucking babysitter, but I sure as shit ain't letting anyone touch my fuckin' boyfriend. Ian reeked of that fucker's cologne for Christ's sake, and you're still gonna tell me he wasn't all over Ian?"

Mandy rolled here eyes, "You and Ian made all of this great progress only for you to stay stuck in your old ways of pointless jealousy? Ian loves you and you know that. Don't be a fucking dumbass," Mandy sneered, standing up and heading towards the door to see Ian in the kitchen making coffee. She looked back at Mickey once more before opening the slider, "I'm serious, Mickey. Don't let your jealousy get in the way of you two."

Mickey remained silent, opening his phone again to scope out Adam's Twitter and Facebook page. As much as he knew he shouldn't be jealous over a man who may or may not be into his boyfriend, he wasn't about to let anything or _anyone_ come between him and Ian. In Mickey's eyes, Adam was nothing but an insect that needed to be squashed.

*******************************

"You know you've made it when you get that little blue check mark next to your name on Twitter and Instagram. This is a fucking dream," Ian said quietly to Mandy at their second table read.

She smiled, already having the 'official' mark next to her social media accounts but happy to see her best friend's excitement after the rough night they had at the venue. To Ian's surprise, Mickey didn't say another word about it after he talked to Mandy this morning, though, the redhead unaware of their discussion by the pool. Instead, the brunet was slightly more affectionate than usual, which was refreshing to Ian but also a bit frightening. He knew that something was up with his boyfriend, not wanting to poke the bear so he dropped it.

"Hey guys," Adam greeted as he sat down directly across from Ian and Mandy, wearing an all-black casual suit.

Ian snickered as Mandy waved flirtatiously at the man, Adam looking uninterested as he moved his gaze elsewhere. Now that the redhead was sober, he was trying to be more aware of how Adam reacted towards him. So far, everything seemed normal and Adam didn't show any sexual interest that Mickey swore he saw. He shrugged the thoughts off and talked amongst the other actors and actresses in the room, all excited to start their journey together. 

As everyone finally arrived to the table read, Ian took a deep breath. He looked down at the script, trying his best to hold back his anxiety. This was it. This would be his big break, and he knew he couldn't fuck it up. They started from the beginning of episode one as they would begin filming next week. 

"Are we all ready to begin?" Faith asked, everyone nodding as they got into character.

"Action!" Tim, the director, exclaimed.

As the read went one, Ian felt his anxiety start to slowly diminish. It was as if he was meant to do this, acting becoming second nature to him and everyone else saw it. He was great at it, a talent he wish he knew about and pursued years ago. He was thankful, nonetheless, that he had the opportunity of pursuing it now.

"Lynn, sometimes we've gotta chase after what we want. Even if it means taking risks," Adam read, all the actresses swooning over his character.

Although Ian was great at what he did for being so fresh and new to the business, so was Adam.

"Jared, I don't know if I'm ready for a relationship. I'm fucking scared, to be honest. I've got so many issues.. I'm just a fuck up," Mandy read, Adam looking up at her to finish his lines.

"Not to me. You're fucking perfect."

Everyone gawked at them, smiling at the sincerity of the scene. Adam's line ended the scene and they moved on to Ian's first sex scene, the redhead already blushing. The director read the script, setting the scene at Slutty Shelby's apartment. It was Ian's turn to read, nerves suddenly rushing over him. He took a deep breath and began.

"His finger tips lightly skimmed over her shoulders, uhhh, Sarah's heart racing at the... At the... Fuck, Shelby," Ian read, the beautiful brunette next to him clearing her throat to read next.

"Read more to me, Dan. So _fucking_ hot," April, the girl who played Shelby, read as she too turned red while reading the scene that she was supposed to be pretending to get fucked in.

"Sarah glanced up, fuck, at Thomas.. Fuck, I'm close," Ian read, feeling eyes on him. He quickly looked up to see Adam glancing at him. Before Ian had time to register the gaze, it was his turn to read again. "Gonna.. fuuuuck."

"That was amazing," April read, moving her gaze to Ian.

"And my book?" Ian read, moving his script to the side to stare at April

"I mean," April paused as the script instructed her to do so while lighting a cigarette, "Your book was good, too. But I was referring to your dick."

"Shel, you're supposed to be helping me here."

"I'm giving you bomb ass pussy, aren't I? That's all the help you'll ever need." 

Ian nearly cringed at the line as he did every time he read it, never wanting to know what 'bomb ass pussy' was like.

"So that's all I am to you? A quick fuck?" Ian raised his eyebrow, leaning back in his chair.

April raised an eyebrow per the script, shrugging and Ian exhaled.

"Can you _really_ read the book? I actually wanna know what you think," Ian huffed, feeling eyes on him again and noticing Adam glancing down once the redhead caught him.

"Sure, baby. I'll read it tonight. Ready for round two?" 

The scene ended, moving to Mandy and Ian's scene that they had to use for their audition. As they read through, Ian felt Adam's eyes burning into him the entire time. It almost reminded him of the way shy men used watch him at the club when he danced on stage, but decided it was harmless for now.

Once the table read had finished, Tim instructed that they would have one last read through before filming next week. The director relayed that moving forward they would have two table reads before filming an episode. Everyone nodded and stood up to exit the room. As Ian began to leave, Adam accidentally bumped into him trying to walk towards Mandy.

"Sorry about that," Adam apologized.

"No worries," Ian responded with a smile, Adam moving past him to meet Mandy. 

The redhead furrowed his brow, under the impression the man wasn't into Mandy. He glanced back to see Adam flirting with Mandy, April and a few other actresses surrounding the two clearly desperate for the brunet's attention. Ian shook his head in amusement and exited the room to find Mickey in the lobby waiting.

"Mickey?" Ian asked.

"Jesus, this studio sucks. Remind me to never sign with HBO if they use this -"

The woman at the front desk cleared her throat and glared at Mickey, the brunet sheepishly smiling in response. Ian chuckled as the woman looked down, clearly unimpressed by Mickey's judgment of the studio.

"Mandy tell you to pick me up?" Ian asked, hearing the crowd starting to get closer to them.

"No. I was next door talking to Jason Blum who straight up offered me a role of a serial killer in a horror movie he's producing in the summer," Mickey answered with an excited grin, Ian letting out a small laugh before stepping closer to the brunet.

"My little psychopath," Ian purred before kissing his boyfriend on the cheek, Mickey blushing in response. "I'm really proud of you, Mick. That's so fucking cool."

"Proud of me? I'm proud of _you._ Even if your first show uses a shitty ass studio."

The woman at the desk looked up at Mickey with another unamused look, the brunet turning around to avoid eye contact as he rolled his eyes. Mandy suddenly approached them, Adam staying back far enough to avoid the other Milkovich.

"Hey, could you bring Ian home? Adam and I are gonna grab lunch," Mandy asked, Mickey shooting a dirty look at Adam.

"Yeah, Mands. I'm good to go home with him. Have fun," Ian answered as his boyfriend was too busy dead panning his target. The redhead sighed, nudging the latter to break him from his glare, "Mick, relax."

"Not a fucking word," Mandy muttered to her brother.

Ian started to head towards the door, Mickey continuing to stand in place as he glared at Adam. Mandy rolled her eyes before turning around to walk towards her date. 

"Mick, you coming?" Ian yelled out as the buzz of the crowd got louder, Mickey spun around to nod and force out a smile. Ian raised an eyebrow at the cagey response, "Alright, I'll be waiting by the car."

After Ian left the studio, the brunet glanced over his shoulder one last time to find Adam smirking deviously at him. Before Mickey could say anything, Adam turned around to walk away with Mandy by his side. As the brunet stood there with his fists balled in anger, he now knew for certain that Adam was definitely trouble.


	27. Animals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Animals by Nickelback

Mickey stormed out of the studio, throwing on his sunglasses as he walked towards his white Audi R8. Ian had been waiting by the passenger side, face suddenly dropping when he noticed the furious looking brunet.

"Mick, what's-"

"You hear from Iggy at all when you were living in Chicago before coming out here?" Mickey interrupted him, Ian furrowing his brow and shaking his head no.

"Nope. Mandy mentioned some sort of rehab but I'm sure you knew about that already."

"Fuck!" Mickey smacked his hand against the door before opening it and sitting in the driver's seat, Ian wearily sitting down beside him in the passenger side.

The brunet pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts and stopping to hover his thumb over Curtis Jackson's number. Ian squinted as he read the name, Mickey glancing up at the redhead momentarily while he took a deep breath to attempt easing his fury. Ian glanced up at the brunet and reached his hand out to gently cup his boyfriend's cheek, gazing into distraught blue eyes.

"Mickey, talk to me. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Mickey muttered, pulling away from Ian before grabbing a cigarette from his pack in the cup holder and taking a long drag to reevaluate his thoughts.

"Doesn't look like nothing."

Mickey's phone buzzed and he immediately exited out of the contact list to tap the notification that popped up on the top of his screen. It was a tweet from Adam, Mickey setting up account notifications earlier in the morning to keep an eye on the fighter's tweets. He didn't care how childish it was, the brunet was waiting for any excuse he could find to beat the shit out of Adam. If that meant stalking his Twitter account, then so be it.

"Do you have notifications set up for when Adam tweets?" Ian asked skeptically, narrowing his eyes at the phone.

"This douchebag is straight up begging for me to knock his fuckin' lights out. Read this," Mickey handed Ian the phone as he peeled out of the parking lot to head towards the freeway.

"Fucking A, Mick. Would you just-"

"Read the Tweet," Mickey demanded, keeping his eyes on the road and white-knuckle gripping his steering wheel.

Ian sighed, looking down at the tweet and feeling confused.

 **Adam Breck** @Adam_Breck • 3m  
@iangallagher hey

Ian raised an eyebrow and glanced up at Mickey incredulously.

"You're mad because he tweeted me?"

Mickey snatched the phone from his boyfriend's hands, immediately taking another drag from the cigarette after putting the phone in his pocket. 

"He's fucking with me. He gave me this smug look in the studio after you left and when Mandy wasn't looking. Now he's tweeting you to piss me off. I've fuckin' had it with this prick," Mickey snapped, hand shaking as he brought the cigarette back up to his lips to take another drag.

Ian ran a hand through his hair, trying to choose his words carefully. He remembered the brunet having jealousy issues, but this was different. Mickey was angry and it didn't make sense to Ian. The redhead leaned back in his seat and pulled out his own phone, bringing up his Twitter account and blocking Adam. He held the phone up to his boyfriend, Mickey quickly glancing at the screen as he continued to drive.

"You blocked him?" Mickey asked.

"If you think he's bad news, then absolutely. Even if I don't see it, I trust your judgement."

Mickey exhaled the smoke, tossing the cigarette out the window and slowing down as he made it on the traffic-congested freeway. He looked over at the redhead who was scrolling through his phone and let out a sigh.

"Ian, I'm not trying to be a dick and I'm not trying to come off as controlling. This Adam guy is-"

"I'm not mad. It was my own choice to block him, not yours. I trust you and I just want things to be good between us always," Ian answered thoughtfully, Mickey softly smiling as he noticed the sincerity in his boyfriend's eyes. "It's you and me against the world, Mick. Always has been. Always will be."

Mickey nodded, reaching for Ian's hand and kissing it. The redhead grinned, not used to the latter showing much affection in public but relishing in the brunet's small gesture. 

"You hungry? I'm fucking starving. Skipped breakfast," Mickey said, still holding Ian's hand with his free hand that wasn't on the steering wheel.

"I could eat," Ian answered, voice sounding suggestive as he released Mickey's hand to move it to the latter's belt.

Mickey grabbed Ian's hand, clearing his throat as Ian snickered. "We can wait until we get home. We're in traffic and I don't have tinted windows."

"I'll be quick," Ian murmured. "I'm sure you will be, too."

"Fuck off," Mickey muttered, succumbing to Ian's lascivious behavior and letting the redhead undo his belt.

Traffic began to slowly move, Mickey complying to the movement by inching forward as Ian unzipped the latter's jeans. The redhead slipped his hand inside of Mickey's boxer briefs, pulling out the latter's already hard dick. Mickey looked around to make sure no one was watching, feeling a sudden thrill of getting head in the middle of stopped traffic. He started to relax once Ian took him in his mouth, the brunet resting his head against his seat and biting his lip to hold in his moaning.

Ian suddenly felt Mickey's hand on his head, grabbing a fistful of red hair as he bobbed his head up and down on his boyfriend's cock. Mickey closed his eyes to the feeling of ultimate pleasure, gently bucking up his hips for Ian to take him in further. The brunet opened his eyes to make sure they weren't giving anyone a show, though, not entirely caring in the heat of the moment.

He abruptly slammed on his brakes once he almost rolled into the car infront of him, distracted by his boyfriend's mouth on him. The car behind him beeped as they almost rear-ended him from the sudden stop, Mickey mumbling out profanities in response. He heard yelling outside, sighing as he rolled down the window to unleash his usual roadradge only to find his heart immediately stopping. It was Mandy in the car to the left of his, stopped slightly behind him with Adam in the driver's side staring down at his phone.

"Shit, stop," Mickey ordered in a whisper as he waved nervously to his sister, smiling suspiciously.

"I thought that was you! This traffic is ridiculous," Mandy complained, Mickey feeling Ian stopping momentarily only to suddenly take the brunet's cock all the way down his throat.

"Uuuh huh," Mickey responded, Mandy furrowing her brow as she didn't see anyone in the passenger side, Ian staying low enough out of her visibility.

"Where's Ian?" She asked, Adam instantly looking up from his phone to glance at Mickey.

"He's um..." Mickey stopped as he felt his voice crack, clearing his throat while he could feel Ian smirking. "Where are you guys, uhh, going to eat?"

"Why are you acting so weird?" She asked, traffic beginning to move forward and the brunet feeling himself nearing an orgasm.

"You're always fucking weird," Mickey retorted, practically hugging the car's bumper infront of him to stay far enough away from his sister's view.

"Good one, assface."

"F..uuckin' bitch," he responded, finally cumming as Ian chuckled darkly, the redhead staying low as he moved himself back into his seat and sitting up just in time for Adam's car to be parallel with Mickey's.

Ian waved once Mandy noticed him, her face suddenly scrunching in disgust once realization struck. "You guys are fucking gross."

Ian shrugged dramatically as Mickey glanced at Adam, noticing the fighter's face burning red in anger. The brunet smirked, relishing in Adam's visible discomfort, before moving his gaze forward.

"Do you fucking animals wanna join us? We're going to Catch for lunch," Mandy asked, Mickey turning his gaze back to his sister and smiling deviously as he realized being with Ian irked the fighter.

"Sounds great. I'll probably beat you there. Looks like Adam has a slow piece of shit," Mickey scoffed, the fighter instantly gripping the steering wheel of his Lexus.

"I'd smoke you in a race, bud," Adam retorted, Mandy raising an eyebrow and letting out a humorless laugh. 

"I'd be careful if I were you," Mandy warned, Adam holding his gaze to Mickey's as he revved his engine. "Christ, here we go..." she muttered, her brother following suit in revving his much louder engine.

Traffic inched forward causing a gap between Mickey's car and the car infront of him, the brunet sucking on his cheek as he gripped the steering wheel looking straight ahead with wild eyes.

"Mickey, I don't like that look in your eyes right now. You had that same look when you used to - Fuck!" Ian yelled as Mickey jerked the car into gear and sped forward, swerving into the breakdown lane.

Ian looked behind him as he noticed Adam cut into the right lane to follow Mickey in the breakdown lane, attempting to tail him, though, not quite able to keep up.

"Mickey! We're gonna get pulled over!" Ian shouted, Mickey keeping his eyes on the lane beside him and cutting back into the traffic once he noticed a gap between cars, people honking at him in response as he finally made it back into the right lane.

Adam slammed on his brakes beside the Milkovich, flicking on his directional to attempt merging back into Mickey's lane. The brunet snickered as he didn't let the fighter in, Ian suddenly turning his head back to see flashing red and blue lights moving towards Adam's car. As traffic finally began moving forward, the state trooper made it to Adam before he had the chance to merge back in.

"See ya later, fuckhead," Mickey muttered as he moved forward, watching the state trooper pull over Adam in his rear-view mirror.

Ian turned back around to shoot a glare at his boyfriend, breathing heavily as his heart was still racing from the adrenaline.

"Was that fucking necessary, Mick?"

"Absolutely," the brunet promised, smile filled with arrogance as he kept his gaze forward while the traffic started to pick up the pace. "You don't challenge a Milkovich expecting to win. You'll lose _every_ goddamn time."

Ian rolled his eyes, knowing the bold statement had more meaning to it than _just_ racing cars.


	28. Sabotage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Sabotage by Beastie Boys

"How many will there be today, Mr. Milkovich?" The hostess asked, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger with flirty eyes.

"Four. The other two are, uh, tied up with something. They're going to be a few minutes late," Mickey answered politely with a smirk, Ian shaking his head in response.

The hostess grinned before grabbing menus and seating the two out on the patio. Immediately after seating them, fans approached their table looking to take pictures with one of LA's current hottest couples. Ian _still_ wasn't used to random people obsessing over him, though, was slowly starting to adapt to the strange behavior of unfamiliar people constantly approaching him. After the handful of fans were satisfied with their unexpected meet and greet, Mickey's phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and instantly allowed a shit-eating grin to creep up on his lips.

"Yes?" The brunet answered smugly.

"Mickey, you piece of shit! You left us back there and Adam almost got a ticket!"

Mickey's grin immediately melted off of his face, eyes hardening at his sister's response.

"He _almost_ got a ticket?"

"Yeah, almost. The statie recognized us and happened to be a huge fan of yours, so I may have flirted-"

"Adam didn't get a fucking ticket even though he got caught speeding and driving through the breakdown lane?" Mickey interrupted, Ian's eyes glancing up at his distraught boyfriend.

"We got out of it, no thanks to you, fuckin' douche. Who leaves their sister behind like that?" Mandy snapped.

"I seriously can't believe he didn't get a ticket," Mickey muttered, more than displeased that the outcome of his plan fell through.

"Being famous has its perks."

"Ain't that the sad truth," Mickey retorted with a sigh.

"We'll be there in five. And Mickey?"

"What?"

"Stop fucking with Adam. I know you don't like him, but give him a goddamn chance. He hasn't even done anything to you and you're being a prick for no reason," Mandy snapped.

"See you in five," Mickey answered, ignoring his sister's request and biting the inside of his cheek before hanging up.

He put the phone back into his pocket, the waitress suddenly arriving to their table just in time for the brunet to order an alcoholic beverage. Ian ordered a Pepsi, fake smile instantly diminishing once the waitress vanished to grab their drinks.

"What's going?" Ian asked quietly incase people were listening to their conversation. He wasn't about to have their dirty laundry aired out on 'Us Weekly' the next day.

"Alan got out of getting a ticket," Mickey responded, eyes glued to the menu. Ian sighed at his boyfriend's constant lack of using the fighter's actual name.

"Jesus, Mick. Why are we even here right now? This is a bad idea and you know it," Ian scolded, Mickey moving his gaze to the redhead momentarily.

"Precisely," Mickey answered with a smug grin, looking back down to the menu before continuing. "Don't worry about it, Gallagher. Promise I'll do my best to play nice."

"No you fucking won't," Ian muttered under his breath, Mickey snickering at the quiet response.

"Here are your drinks," the waitress said as she placed the beverages on the table with a warm smile.

"Thank you," Ian answered sincerely, kicking Mickey under the table to break his boyfriend's locked gaze from the menu.

"Yes, thank you," the brunet answered, shooting a glare at the smirking redhead.

"You guys wanna wait to ord-"

"We'll be ready in a few minutes," Mandy interrupted the waitress, suddenly appearing and sitting beside her brother as Adam sat directly across from her, right next to Ian. 

"Oh, it's a pleasure serving you today! I'm a huge fan of you all," the waitress exclaimed as the four of them smiled at her. "I'll give you all a minute. My name's Tara, if you have any questions."

Once she walked away, they each sighed and looked down at their menus. All except for Mickey, who was already dead panning Adam.

"The table read went really well today. I can't wait to actually start filming," Mandy said, trying to ease the tension.

"Yeah, you guys did great," Adam responded, glancing up to find blue eyes piercing into his soul.

"So what was that tweet to Ian about?" Mickey asked, Adam setting down his menu to stare back at the brunet in confusion.

"I didn't have his number so-"

"You don't need his fuckin' number," Mickey snapped, Adam clearing his throat uncomfortably while Mandy and Ian rolled their eyes at the brunet's obvious hostility.

"Mickey," Mandy snarled, glaring at her brother.

"It's fine," Adam answered softly, turning his gaze back to Mickey, "I was going to say, he left behind his script. Figured he'd want it back and wasn't sure if he wanted to wait until the next read through," Adam answered earnestly, pulling the script out of the inside of his jacket and handing it to Ian.

"You're the sweetest," Mandy commended the fighter, Adam smiling sheepishly as he looked back down to his menu, showing no further interest in the redhead.

Ian glanced up at Mickey, giving him a look of disapproval to whatever negative comment was about to leave his boyfriend's mouth. The brunet sighed in defeat, knowing Adam may have won this round, but it was only a matter of time before he'd fuck up his charade. 

Mickey remained silent throughout the lunch, mainly keeping his attention not-so-discretely on Adam. He hated the way that his sister and boyfriend laughed at the fighter's corny jokes, giving into his bullshit facade. Adam was charming as fuck and Mickey knew he needed to come up with something else to intervene the fighter's game, immediately turning to his phone to Google the man. Once the results came up, he wondered why he didn't do this earlier.

The first result was a report of domestic violence with an old girlfriend claiming he had beaten her in a drunken rage. Mickey carelessly skimmed through the many comments, people claiming it was false news and others writing remarks of disgust. Nonetheless, Mickey smiled to himself, knowing he was still in the game. He looked up at the fighter who was listening to Mandy babble on about a cast mate.

"So Adam, how come a decent guy like you is still single?" Mickey asked, Ian's eyes immediately darting to the brunet.

Mandy rolled her eyes, chewing her food as quickly as possible to stop her brother from whatever he was getting at with the question. Adam smiled softly, placing his napkin down on the table. He ran hs fingers through his hair, holding his gaze to Mickey's.

"And how was a guy as charismatic as you are able to stay single for so long?" Adam retorted, Mandy stopping her chewing to let out a laugh before glancing at her brother whose face was now burning red.

"It's complicated," Mickey answered short and curt.

"I dig that," Adam answered, moving on from the question to return to his conversation with Mandy.

"You gonna beat my sister like you beat your ex?" Mickey chided, all eyes including others from different tables now on Mickey and Adam.

"Mickey, stop," Mandy muttered. "You're causing a scene."

"I see you Googled me," Adam started, glancing at the people who were staring now beginning to look away from the two men. "Did you read about the part where she lied for publicity? The part that because I do MMA it would be believable, but she ended up confessing and telling the truth about her lying?"

Mickey furrowed his brow, pulling out his phone and scrolling down to the next story that included a public apology video from the fighter's ex-girlfriend claiming she did, in fact, lie about the abuse. The brunet let out an exasperated sigh, keeping his gaze to the phone.

"You fucking prick," Mandy muttered, Adam shaking his head to Mandy's scowl.

"Don't worry about it, Mandy," Adam said quietly as he pulled out his wallet to throw down money that would cover the entire bill. "Lunch is on me. I think I'm gonna go now."

Adam stood up, Mandy and Ian following suit. He smiled at the two before throwing on his jacket.

"Adam, I'm really sorry," Mandy said, "Want me to come with you? I don't really want my brother dropping me off at the studio to pick up my car for obvious reasons," she said, shooting a glare at Mickey who continued to hold his gaze to his phone.

"No worries. I actually have some errands to run anyway. I'll text you later," Adam replied, leaning over to give Mandy a kiss on the cheek. He glanced over at the redhead and placed a hand on his arm, "See you in a few days for the next read."

"I'm sorry about that. Mick's under a lot of stress right now," Ian apologized, Mickey glancing up at his boyfriend and feeling utter regret.

"Like I said, no worries. What's done is done and there's no need to dwell on it," the fighter answered with a genuine smile.

Adam walked out of the restaurant, leaving Ian and the Milkoviches behind in an awkward silence. They waited for the waitress to stop by, asking for the bill to pay her with the fighter's money. Once the waitress left to grab the check, Mandy was the first to break the silence.

"Mickey, I know that you've always been sort of a dick, but this was on a whole new fucking level."

"I know. I'm fucking sorry. I thought-"

"You thought that he has some sort of secret agenda to get in Ian's pants when clearly _you're_ the one who's obsessing over him. Not _him_ obsessing over Ian. Fucking stop being a jackass and stop trying to do whatever it is that you're doing. You're not a fifteen year old girl who schemes over stupid playground shit, for Christ's sakes." 

Mickey glanced at Ian who held his gaze to the ground, clearly embarassed by the latter's actions. The brunet sighed before standing up abruptly.

"Where're you going?" Mandy asked, Ian glancing up at his boyfriend.

"For a fucking smoke. Meet me at the car once you pay the bill and I'll drive your ass back to the studio to grab your car," Mickey responded bluntly, walking away to leave the restaurant.

Once he was outside, Mickey immediately lit a cigarette and relished in the nicotine starting to ease his nerves. He walked toward his car to find Adam parked infront of him along the road, the fighter also smoking a cigarette as he leaned against his Lexus. Mickey sighed, biting back his pride as he stood by Adam, the brunet also leaning against his Audi.

"Hey man, I'm really sorry about what I said. I didn't know what happened and I was being an asshole," Mickey admitted, never being one to truly apologize.

Adam exhaled the smoke, glancing down to the ground. "It's alright. Guess I don't blame you."

Mickey smiled half-heartedly before taking another drag. He glanced up to find the fighter staring at him completely emotionless. Adam tossed his cigarette to the side, immediately turning to walk around to the driver's side of his Lexus. He stopped before getting inside the car, looking up at Mickey once more.

"I want you to know something, _Mick._ I _always_ get what I want," Adam said softly before getting into his car and driving off, leaving the brunet frozen in place as he watched the fighter's car disappear down the street, feeling rage rapidly building inside.


	29. Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Nightmare by Avenged Sevenfold

The car ride back to the studio to get Mandy's car was in complete silence, Ian keeping his gaze to the window the entire time and avoiding any eye contact with the brunet. The moment Mickey pulled up to the studio, Mandy immediately got out of the car without saying a word. She slammed the door shut, storming away and flipping Mickey off before getting inside of her own vehicle.

The brunet gripped the steering wheel tight, letting out an aggravated sigh as Ian continued to refuse looking in the latter's direction. Mickey lit up another cigarette, his fourth since leaving the restaurant. He blew the smoke out the window attempting to remain calm, though, finding it difficult when his own sister and boyfriend didn't believe him about Adam being a piece of shit. This wasn't over, not by a long shot, but the brunet knew he had to play his cards carefully moving forward. If Adam was going to be play dirty, so was Mickey. 

The brunet stopped at a red light that gated the freeway, caving and speaking first to break the silence.

"You know that I Iove you, right?" Mickey said, glancing over at the redhead. "Like, a fucking lot."

Ian let out a small sigh before turning to the brunet and nodding.

"I thought you should know that I apologized to Adam when we were outside. Bit back my pride and everything," Mickey admitted, though, refraining from telling his boyfriend about how the rest of the conversation went.

Ian's eyes softened, suddenly sighing in relief, "Thank Christ. I know you're under a lot of stress and pressure lately with juggling these movies and TV shows, which you should have just taken a break from movies like you said you were going to," Ian tsked, raising an eyebrow.

"How could I turn down the role of a serial killer from Jason Blum? Dude's got some dope movies out there so I'd say it's a fuckin' win," Mickey retorted, Ian smiling back at his boyfriend.

"I love you too, Mick. Promise me you'll try to play nice from now on? Adam's actually really cool and I assure you that there's nothing to worry about," Ian promised.

"I.. Promise I'll try to be nice," Mickey confirmed, though, not entirely lying as he didn't say how hard he'd actually try.

"Thank you. Plus," Ian started, leaning in to kiss his boyfriend on the cheek, "I've only got eyes for you, baby."

"Fucking gag," Mickey responded teasingly, Ian flipping him off with a smile in response.

Mickey ran his fingers through his hair, understanding trying to convince Ian that Adam is blatantly full of shit was a lost cause at this point without any proof. He knew it was time to show the fighter that he wasn't fucking around anymore, now just needing to find a crack in his game to steal the ball from Adam's court before spiking it right back. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Ian's phone ringing, the redhead retrieving the device from his pocket and answering it without checking the caller ID. 

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Adam."

Ian's face instantly dropped, Mickey picking up on the redhead's troubled demeanor.

"Oh, uh, hey. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you and Mike have any plans tonight."

"You mean Mickey?" Ian corrected, the brunet trying to keep his attention on the road but finding himself distracted by his boyfriend's phone call. To Mickey's relief, they hit a red light coming off of the freeway.

"Shit. Sorry, man. My brain's scattered lately. Anyway, I actually just bought a club a few minutes ago and want to celebrate properly. Would you and Mickey want to come? I'm inviting a bunch of other people, too," Adam offered

"That's what your errand was? Buying a club?" Ian asked incredulously.

"Yup," Adam chuckled.

Ian glanced up at Mickey before responding, "You mind if I call you back?"

"Not a problem. I'll just text you the information and you can let me know whenever if you're coming or not."

"Alright. And, not to be rude, but how did you get my number? I don't think I gave it to you," Ian asked, Mickey gripping his steering wheel as he now had a pretty good idea who the redhead was speaking to.

"Mandy. She asked me to call you after I told her about Mickey apologizing to me. She said that her brother apologizing was an equivalent to hell freezing over whatever," Adam chuckled, Ian letting out a laugh in agreement. "I figured you two coming tonight would be good be a good way to let the water remain under the bridge. No hard feelings between me and Mickey, you know?"

"Thanks for being so cool about what happened. Like I said, he's just stressed," Ian started, clearing his throat before continuing, "Anyway, I'll talk to you later and let you know."

"Later."

As the light turned green, Mickey threw on his sunglasses to attempt hiding his anger. 

"So... How would you feel about going to a party tonight?" Ian asked sheepishly.

"Whose party?" Mickey retorted.

"Adam bought a club and is throwing a party there tonight. He wants to show you that everything's cool between you guys," Ian answered, watching as the brunet kept his gaze straight forward. "I can definitely tell him no. I don't really mind if we just hang out at the house tonight since the next few days are gonna get busy."

Mickey sniffed, reaching for another cigarette and taking a drag before answering the redhead.

"Sure. Let's go."

Ian furrowed his brow, staring at his boyfriend in confusion. "Wait, you want to go?"

"Why not?"

"Because you hate clubs and you hate Adam," Ian responded bluntly, trying to determine his boyfriend's motive behind wanting to attend the party.

"Yeah, but Adam's right. Everything's cool between us," Mickey said with a hint of sarcasm as he took another drag.

"You're gonna keep your promise, right? You're gonna try to be nice?"

Mickey flashed his perfect Hollywood smile, "Absolutely, Firecrotch."

"You sure that you're not the one who's bipolar? Your mood swings are starting to give me some major whiplash," Ian teased, Mickey shrugging in response as he exhaled the smoke. "I'll text him and let him know we'll be there."

"Sounds good," Mickey muttered, knowing that attending this party was certainly going to be interesting. It could also be a potential cop-out for finding ways to expose the fighter when he was drunk and vulnerable. Mickey tossed the cigarette out the window before continuing his drive home, for the first time ever anticipating going to a club.

* * *

"Ian!" Mandy exclaimed upon noticing the redhead entering the club. 

She wrapped drunken arms around her friend, Ian chuckling to himself in amusement that she was already trashed. She narrowed her eyes at her brother before her face softened, suddenly moving to wrap her arms around the brunet.

"Mickey. You're an asshole, but I love you. Siblings are s'posed to fight, right?"

Mickey raised his eyebrows at her, "Jesus, you smell like a distillery."

"Adam bought us _lots_ of shots," Mandy giggled. Her eyes suddenly widening, "Holy shit, you know what I just realized?"

Mickey's eyes glanced to Ian's before answering his sister, "Do tell. The suspense is fucking riveting."

Mandy gently shoved her brother before grabbing onto his arm for balance, walking him closer to Ian. 

"I realized that this is my fuckin' jam," Mandy slurred out, swaying her hips to the music.

Mickey rolled his eyes, "Never say dumb shit like that again."

"You're just mad because you're a lame-o," Mandy taunted, forming her fingers into the shape of an L and holding it up to her forhead.

"Put your fucking hand down. You seriously look stupid," Mickey fired back, Ian laughing at their banter.

Mandy continued to hold the L up to her forhead, "My name's Mickey Milkovich and I think I'm sooo cool when I'm really just a loser lame-o!"

"Loser lame-o? Are you fuckin' five? Christ," Mickey retorted, raising his eyebrows at how ridiculous Mandy was acting. "Now fuck off and get me some of those free shots. I need to atleast get a buzz started if I'm going to be dealing with your drunken ass all night."

Mandy lowered her L and grinned, "Gotta talk to Adam first. He's over by the bar with that rapper friend you're working with."

Mickey spun around to look at the bar, searching for Adam and his stupid wispy hair. Once his target was locked, he began to move forward with Ian and Mandy following close behind just incase either needed to mediate.

"Mickey! What's happenin'?" Curtis yelled over the loud music, extending his hand out to the brunet.

"What're you doing here? Thought you were in Detroit still?" Mickey asked, glancing up at Adam who had his eyes fixed on Mandy.

"I was, up until a few days ago. I had to hit the studio here for a last minute music project I'm working on and then Adam hit me up to come out here tonight. It's a nice club. Good purchase," Curtis complimented, nodding to the fighter.

"Wait, how do you two know eachother?" Ian asked, looking at Adam and Curtis.

"He's actually gonna be on the show with you, Mick. Em fell through with some contracting issue and now he's touring out in Europe during the dates we're filming. Adam did a secret audition for Em's role the day I came back from Detroit and we loved him! He's gonna be great with you. That's what this party is about, to celebrate him joining the cast of Relentless," Curtis said, Mickey's body going completely rigid as the rapper's words floated around in his head.

"Relax, Mick," Ian whispered in the brunet's ear, quickly kissing the crook of his neck before Mickey took a deep breath trying hold it together.

"That's... Great." Mickey answered half-heartedly.

"It really is," Curtis answered, patting Adam on the back before grabbing his drink and standing up, "Gotta run to the bathroom."

Once Curtis left, Mickey moved his gaze to Adam. He wanted nothing more than to punch him in his smug looking face, but for now he would wait until the time was right to strike. 

"Can I get you guys a drink? I'm buying," Adam offered, Mandy raising her hand and the fighter shaking his head, "Not you, babe. You want some water?"

"Babe?" Both Ian and Mickey asked in unison.

Mandy giggled and stumbled into Adam, the fighter wrapping his arms around her and glancing momentarily at Ian before turning his gaze back down to Mandy.

"Adam and I are sort of dating as of, like, an hour ago after I blew him in the bathroom," Mandy giggled, Mickey instantly turning to the bar and tapping his hand on the table to order three shots of whiskey that were all for him.

"Oh um, congrats?" Ian said in confusion before also turning to the bar and ordering a beer, knowing that would be enough to hold a buzz for little while.

"This is a fucking nightmare," Mickey muttered under his breath before downing the shots one-by-one, ordering a beer immediately after finishing the whiskey. The brunet wasn't ready to lose sight over his plan to expose Adam just yet, though, was starting to find it easier by the second to just knock the fighter's lights out instead of playing anymore games. He knew it was going to be a long night, grabbing his beer and mentally preparing himself for the bullshit that was sure to come.


	30. Fight Music

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Fight Music by D12

"Drink, drink, drink!" The small crowd surrounding Mickey and Adam yelled as the two men were having a drinking contest per a bet.

"They're gonna puke. Shit, I wanna puke just watching them," Ian said loudly to Mandy, raising his voice over the blaring music in the club and taking a swig of his beer. Mandy chuckled darkly, sobering up by sticking to water over the last hour.

Mickey took down the four shots that were lined up along the bar as if they were water, slamming each small glass down on the table top and letting out a victorious yell as he noticed Adam struggling to finish. Everyone cheered for Mickey, the brunet basking in the win.

Adam patted the brunet on the arm, "You sure can hold your booze. Nice job, man. Here's your twenty," the fighter said, handing Mickey a twenty dollar bill.

"Told you you'd lose that bet," Mickey retorted, grabbing the twenty and sticking it in his pocket before suddenly feeling the alcohol sstart to catch up to him.

"You alright, bud? You don't look so good," Adam asked, Mickey nodding in response before ordering a water.

"Babe! Come dance with me and Ian!" Mandy yelled out, holding Ian's hand as the redhead escorted her to the dance floor. "I bet Ian could win at a dance off against you," Mandy challenged.

"No way. I've got the moves like Jagger," Adam teased, Mickey wanting to throw up at the cringe worthy remark.

"Think you could take him, Ian?" Mandy asked, raising an eyebrow as she noticed Ian smirk.

"Fifty bucks and you're on. You already lost to Mickey and you're gonna lose to me, too," Ian said matter-of-factly, Adam letting out a dry laugh before walking over to the DJ with Mandy.

"Ian, the fuck're you doing?" Mickey asked, stepping closer to the redhead.

"About to win an easy fifty bucks is what I'm doing," Ian answered smugly, grabbing Mickey's tie to pull him in for a kiss.

The brunet was too buzzed to truly care about the public display of affection, immediately reciprocating the kiss as the alcohol controlled his body.

"How we all doing tonight, you beautiful motherfuckers!" The DJ yelled out into the microphone as he lowered the music, the crowd going wild in response.

Ian gently pulled away from the kiss, "I'm gonna need more of that after I wipe the floor with Adam in this dance off."

Mickey rolled his eyes, following Ian towards the dance floor.

"Looks like we're gonna have a dance off," the DJ began scratching his record as everyone cheered, "We got my boy, Adam Breck, going up against Ian Gallagher. Can you show these guys some love?" The DJ asked, loud screaming and cheering immeditaley filling the club.

Ian walked out to the dance floor beside Adam, the crowd suddenly forming a large circle around them like a cheesy 80's movie. The redhead glanced over to see Mickey and Mandy visibly in the front, Mandy yelling in excitement while Mickey stood with his arms crossed dead panning Adam.

"Alright, guys. Let's start it with my boy Adam and then he'll hit it to you when he's ready for ya," The DJ explained while looking at Ian, the redhead nodding in response.

"Are y'all ready?" The DJ asked, everyone yelling out a loud 'yes', "Alright, let's get this shit rockin'!" He exclaimed, scratching his records and playing Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO.

Ian shook his head in response to the song choice, though, suddenly distracted by Adam dancing like a professional and realizing he was in for a challenge.

The crowd cheered the fighter on, watching him shuffle along to the song. Adam shuffled closer to Ian, getting close enough to touch him before pointing to the redhead to indicate that it was his turn. Ian immediately began to dance, looking up to see Mickey cheering him on to his surprise. That was all he needed to fuel his confidence, instantly stealing the spotlight as the crowd went insane watching the redhead demolishing Adam with his moves.

"That's it, baby!" Mickey yelled out, immediately regretting the words leaving his mouth as soon as Mandy's jaw dropped.

"You really are a softie after all. Who knew," Mandy teased, Mickey flipping her off before turning his focus back onto his boyfriend who was swaying his hips in place as it was now Adam's turn.

"Bring it," Ian mouthed, motioning his hand forward as Adam continued dancing.

The fighter glided next to Ian, suddenly grabbing the redhead's tie and pulling him in closer. Ian nonchalantly swatted Adam's hand away from his tie, slightly feeling uncomfortable but not wanting to let it be known as he had all eyes watching him. He glanced over at Mandy who was looking down at her phone and showing her brother something, Ian wishing they saw the weird behavior coming from Mandy's 'boyfriend'.

The last fourty-five seconds of the song belonged to Ian, Adam still continuing to move closer to him. The redhead glanced up at Mickey, _finally_ starting to realize that his boyfriend was right all along. But the brunet was currently distracted by whatever it was on Mandy's phone to notice what was happening.

The redhead glanced up at Adam who had eyes locked on him, Ian immediately feeling the fighter undressing him with his eyes. Ian spun around to break the uncomfortable gaze, amping up the crowd and shaking to the music which made the girls swoon. Once the song ended, the club was loud with cheering and yelling. Ian turned back around to see Mickey and Mandy clapping. 

_Now they fucking look,_ Ian thought to himself, noticing that Adam just-so-happened to move further away from him before the Milkoviches noticed.

"Alright, y'all. Let's take a vote on who you think won," the DJ started and pointed to the fighter first, "How 'bout my boy, Adam?"

The crowd cheered and screamed, Adam grinning and motioning his hand up to keep the cheering going.

"Nice! Now, how 'bout Ian?"

The crowd went nuts, Ian's victory more than obvious by the sound of cheering. Ian mustered up a smile, just wanting to move away from Adam already. He wanted to apologize to Mickey and tell him how much of an idiot he was for not noticing the fighter's interest in him before.

"Sorry, man. But I gotta give this one to Ian!" The DJ exclaimed, Adam stepping closer to the redhead to hand him the cash.

"I'm good," Ian rejected before walking towards his boyfriend, Mickey furrowing his brow at Ian's face of distress.

"What's wrong?" Mickey asked.

"Walk with me," Ian ordered, heading over to the couches that were off to the side.

Once they sat down, Mickey brought his hand up to his nose, sensing something wasn't right.

"What's going on?"

"Adam. He-"

Mickey suddenly stood up, their conversation interrupted when he heard the sound of his sister yelling. Ian turned around to see Mandy throwing her drink in Adam's face and turning to walk towards them.

"Mandy, you good?" Mickey asked, "What did Adam do?"

"He broke up with me," Mandy whined, Ian having a pretty good guess as to why.

"You don't need him, Mands," Mickey responded, bringing his sister in for a hug as she cried into his shirt. 

"I'll fuckin' kill him," Mickey muttered under his breath, Ian placing a hand on his boyfriend's arm.

"I've got it. Be right back," Ian said, locking his eyes to Adam before approaching the fighter.

"She's just being dramatic. I didn't end things-"

"I want you to back the fuck off, Adam. Back off from Mickey, back off from Mandy, and step the fuck back from me. I'm not interested," Ian gritted through his teeth before turning around to walk away.

Adam chewed on the inside of his cheek, "Is it about money?"

Ian stopped dead in his tracks before spinning around to face the fighter, "Excuse me?"

"Are you with him for the money?" Adam pressed, taking a step closer to the redhead.

"You're really gonna ask me that? You're fucking ridiculous. I barely know you-"

"Answer the question."

"No! I'm not with him for the money, you fucking prick," Ian retorted.

"Hm, interesting," Adam answered, holding his gaze to Ian's, "I've done my research on you, Ian Gallagher. I also know that your boyfriend over there thinks he's a lot tougher than he really is. You need someone who can actually protect you."

Ian felt his blood boiling, standing still in utter disbelief that Adam had the balls to be saying such things to him.

"You need someone like me," Adam admitted, extending his hand out to Ian's cheek, the redhead shoving the fighter back in response.

Adam caught his balance and swung out of instinct, connecting his fist to Ian's jaw and knocking the redhead out cold on accident. Mickey glanced up at the sound of people screaming and surrounding his boyfriend who was now laying on the floor.

"Move," the brunet ordered, gently pushing his sister to the side and seeing only red, fury and anger possessing his body as he ran towards Adam.

"You motherfucker," Mickey muttered, instantly taking a swing at Adam, the fighter ducking and pushing the brunet back.

"You don't wanna do this with me," Adam warned, Mickey ignoring him and feeling the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he took another swing, this time connecing his fist to Adam's cheek.

Adam lowered himself to push Mickey down to the ground, the brunet rolling to the side as the fighter lost his balance and fell on the floor. Mickey stood up quickly, kicking the man while he was down and throwing as many punches as he could get in before bouncers peeled him off of the fighter. The brunet was still kicking and swinging as the bouncer held him in the air, another bouncer standing Adam up to also hold him back.

"How's your face feel, you stupid fucking prick!" Mickey yelled, noticing Adam covered in his own blood. The brunet was also covered in Adam's blood, snickering darkly, "You fucking pussy, bleeding all over me like a bitch."

"I'm coming back for you, Milkovich!" Adam retorted, breaking free from the bouncer momentarily to step towards Mickey.

Adam was suddenly intercepted by Ian, shoving the man to the ground. The bouncer tossed the redhead to the side like a rag doll before going back to restraining the fighter.

"Police are here," someone from the crowd said, everyone turning to see the officers shoving through people to get to the sources of the altercation.

One officer grabbed Mickey while another grabbed Adam, Ian and Mandy running towards Mickey as the cop attempted cuffing him.

"You're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law," the officer said to Mickey, the brunet resisting arrest as he continued fidgeting, trying to move towards Adam who was also being read the Miranda rights.

"Where are you taking him? What's happening?" Mandy asked frantically.

"Fuck you, motherfucking piece of shit!" Mickey yelled to Adam, the fighter spitting at the latter in response.

"Mickey, Stop!" Ian yelled, the brunet unable to hear him as his anger blocked out everything around him except for his instinct to break Adam's neck.

The officer pulled Mickey to the side with force, the cop needing assistance hauling the brunet out of the club and calling for another officer. Ian and Mandy followed close behind as they finally dragged the brunet out of the club, though, Mickey _still_ resisting arrest.

"Son, you need to calm down and stop resisting arrest. It's only going to make things worse for you," the officer warned, shoving Mickey against the cop car to finally cuff him.

The other two officers who were holding Adam walked passed the brunet, also shoving the fighter against the car to cuff him.

"You're a fucking dead man, Adam. I'll fucking kill you. This isn't over," Mickey gritted through his teeth, Ian shushing his boyfriend as the latter threatened to murder someone in front of the policemen.

"Shut the fuck up, you wanna-be thug. You're nothing but white trash," Adam retorted, the officers pushing the fighter inside the car.

"Officers, he's innocent! He-"

"Back off, kid," the officer interrupted Ian before opening the car door and shoving Mickey inside. 

The officer radio'd in to the station before getting in his car, Ian immediately running up to the window to look at his boyfriend. 

"We're gonna get you out, Mick! I love you," Ian promised, knowing the brunet probably couldn't hear him.

Ian was instantly pulled back by a bouncer, the redhead obliging and moving away from the vehicle. He and Mandy watched as the car drove off, the sight giving them haunting reminders of a past life they both hoped to never revisit. Mandy grabbed Ian's hand, tears welling in her eyes as the cop car was now out of sight with Mickey in it. They both turned around to see flashing lights of cameras in their faces, Ian grabbing Mandy to try and avoid the paparazzi, both wondering if this night could get any worse.


	31. Natural Born Killaz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Natural Born Killaz by Dr. Dre featuring Ice Cube

It had been eight very long, horrendous hours of processing before bail was finally posted for Mickey, spending his night in the drunk tank. Ian had spent his own night anxiously waiting, barely getting any sleep as he watched the internet literally blowing up with the altercation from the night before. Someone had even recorded most of the fight on their phone, the video already holding over five million views on YouTube in under a short span of time. 

It was now close to noon, Ian finally getting the call that bail had been posted. Ian immediately headed to the station with Mandy to pick his boyfriend up, Mickey getting off with some fines and needing a follow-up in court, but nothing too serious as the ugly truth of fame was on his side.

Ian and Mandy watched as the brunet walked toward them, clothes still covered in dried blood and looking like a zombie from a very apparent sleepless night. The redhead immediately ran over to his boyfriend, wrapping his arms around the brunet, Mickey reciprocating the embrace.

"I fucking missed you. Never want to see you locked up again," Ian breathed out, Mickey chuckling darkly in response.

"I wasn't even technically locked up. The drunk tank is _not_ as fun as they say, even being out in LA. There's some weird ass motherfuckers out there," Mickey shuddered as Ian held him tighter, never wanting to let go.

Mandy wrapped her arms around them both, tears falling as she was relieved to see her brother. Mickey rolled his eyes before pushing them off, letting out a sarcastic laugh.

"Jesus, guys. I'm not coming back from fuckin' 'Nam," Mickey scoffed, an officer happening to be walking by and shooting him an unamused look.

"Excuse me for being a loving sister," Mandy snapped, Mickey raising his eyebrows in response. 

"You're really gonna go there after being a dick to me yesterday about that stupid motherfucker?" Mickey retorted, glancing behind his shoulder to make sure no one was looking at the them, "Speaking of which, we've got some shit to handle. Let's go home."

Mandy nodded, leading the way out of the station to her car. Mickey grabbed her keys, getting in the driver's seat before Ian raced Mandy for the front seat, the redhead beating her there. 

"Fucker," she muttered under her breath before opening the car door and sulking in the backseat.

Mickey stuck his middle finger out the window as he passed by the station, definitely not missing his delinquent days. He opened Mandy's glove box, searching around the car while trying to pay attention to the road.

"The fuck're you doing?" Mandy asked.

"You didn't bring any smokes?" Mickey asked in frustration, Mandy rolling her eyes in response.

"What part of, they're bad for you and you said you'd quit, don't you understand?" Mandy scolded.

"What part of, fuck you, don't you understand?"

Ian's phone rang, interrupting the siblings' banter. He sighed when he saw it was Fiona, not ready to deal with whatever bullshit speech she was about to deliver. He reluctantly hit answer.

"Hey, Fi."

"Ian, you're all over the goddamn internet. What happened?"

Ian sighed, "Long story short, Mickey beat the fuck out of my co-star for being a pompous asshole."

Mickey smirked at the remark, Ian shaking his head in response.

"Yeah, I read about the prick."

"Mickey isn't a fucking prick-"

"No, not Mickey. I'm talking about that Adam Breck guy. I read he used to beat his ex-girlfriend, which I totally don't believe she lied about that by the way. When I saw that Mickey kicked his ass on YouTube this morning, I thought it was actually pretty badass of him. So, uh, go Mickey."

Ian furrowed his brow, "Oh? So you're not calling to yell at me?"

"Fuck no. Any guy who beats chicks like that deserves a Mickey Milkovich beat down. I was calling to make sure you both were alright," Fiona admitted, Ian finding himself smiling as his sister wasn't treating him like a child by scolding him. For once, it was nice to have her on his side.

"Yeah, Fi. We're both fine."

"Good. You know you can call us every once in a while, right? Try not to forget about us peasants while you're climbing the ladder of success, okay?" Fiona said teasingly, the redhead letting out a soft chuckle in response. 

"I won't forget about you guys. I miss you all," Ian said sincerely.

"I miss you too, sweets. You guys coming home for Thanksgiving still?" Fiona asked.

"We're just entering November next week, Fi. Can we maybe not talk about the holidays yet?" Ian asked, having flashbacks of their mother nearly dying on the holiday years ago.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I'll talk to you soon," Fiona said.

"See ya," Ian answered before ending the call and letting out a sigh only to find Mickey and Mandy already plotting, the redhead instantly feeling like he never left Chicago. 

"What if we knife him when he least expects it? Catch him in a dark alley or something," Mandy suggested.

"Nah, I was thinking something more slow and painful." 

"Ooh, what about drugging him and chopping his-"

"Jesus Christ, guys. Can we not think like a Milkovich for two seconds here and act smart about this?" Ian interrupted, Mandy letting out a humorless laugh in response.

"Ian, you can take the Milkovich out of the Southside, but you can't take the Southside out of the Milkovich," Mandy said matter-of-factly, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.

"Well you've had five years to 'get the Southside out'. These LA pricks don't handle shit like that out here. We've gotta fight smart. And _without_ murder weapons," Ian said pointedly.

"Alright, Mother Teresa. So what's your fuckin' plan then?" Mickey asked, Ian narrowing his eyes at the brunet before speaking. 

"We gotta break him like he tried to break us. We should start with his ex-girlfriend. You know, get a bunch of shit on him and expose him to the media to get everyone hating him."

Mandy nodded, "That's actually not a bad idea. What do you think, Mick?"

Mickey ran a hand through his hair, "I think that I would like to fucking stab him in the heart, but I don't think I could get out of a life sentence for that no matter how famous I am." 

"I'm serious, assface. Do you think we should go with Ian's plan?" Mandy snarked.

"Yeah. We'll find out where his ex lives and have chat with her," Mickey answered.

"Where should we start with this?" Mandy asked.

"Facebook? I could search her there and send her a message asking to meet up," Ian suggested, Mickey letting out a dry laugh.

"I don't fucking think so, Nancy Drew. You can't just send her a message asking to meet up. She's gonna think you're some sort of creep," Mickey scoffed.

"Fine. _You_ message her then. She probably has fucking wet dreams about you anyway like all of your female followers do," Ian retorted, Mandy letting out a laugh at the truthful remark.

Mickey turned his head to Ian momentarily, wiggling his eyebrows up and down, "What can I say? I'm fucking irresistible."

"More like a fucking pain in the ass," Mandy muttered.

"Ay, fuck off. You wish you were as good-looking as me. You were stuck with the bitch ass genes along with Iggy," Mickey teased.

"I literally look just like you with long hair and tits," Mandy snapped.

"What tits?" Mickey asked, earning a punch in the arm from his sister. 

"Alright, alright. Let's get home safely so we can take this fucker down," Mickey said, Mandy rolling her eyes and crossing her arms as she sat back in her seat.

Ian grabbed Mickey's hand that was on the gear stick, the brunet glancing at his boyfriend before allowing a small smile to creep up on his lips.

"Adam's gonna wish he never fucked with us, Mick. He's gonna pay for this," Ian promised, Mickey turning his head forward to focus on the road.

"He should feel pretty fuckin' lucky that he didn't know me years ago or else he wouldn't even be breathing right now."

Ian felt the coldness of Mickey's words, instantly sending chills down his spine as he knew the brunet was dead serious. He turned his head to gaze out the window for the rest of the ride home, anxious to start Operation Ruin Adam's Career.


	32. No One Believes Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> No One Believes Me by Kid Cudi
> 
>  
> 
> **Warning**
> 
> This chapter includes mentions of domestic abuse/violence. Nothing too graphic, though.

"I think this is it," Ian muttered, glancing over to the average-sized beige house that looked like it had seen better days. The words 'Whore', 'Gold Digger', 'Liar', and other profanities spray were painted all over it with trash in the front yard.

"This makes me so fucking sad," Mandy said softly, a small woman slowly opening the front door and standing on her porch to make sure the strange car parked outside her house wasn't anyone messing with her.

Ian rolled down his window, "Alexa Flynn?"

"Hi there," she responded, voice low and sounding broken.

"Shit, this is more real than I thought it was gonna be," Mickey said quietly before parking the car, everyone getting out to walk towards the stranger.

Alexa was beautiful. She had long, wavy brown hair and hazel colored, almond shaped eyes. Her skin was perfect, resembling smooth porcelain. She was about four-foot nine, looking like she weighed eighty pounds soaking wet. Nonetheless, she had a sadness to her, eyes hiding pain and suffering. A beautiful disaster.

"Hey, I'm-"

"Ian Gallagher," Alexa finished the redhead's sentence with a soft smile.

Ian nodded, smiling back at her. Alexa glanced at the Milkoviches and mustered up energy to maintain her smile.

"Mandy, I'm a huge fan. You're absolutely gorgeous," Alexa complimented, Mandy sheepishly smiling in response. She turned to Mickey, "What can I help you guys with?"

"We're, uh, actually here to talk to you about Adam," Mickey answered, Alexa's smile instantly diminishing and wincing at the sound of the fighter's name.

"Are you here to shit on me like everyone else?" Alexa asked blankly, voice without any emotion.

"No," Ian said, "We want to know what _actually_ happened. We wanted to hear the truth and not the bullshit that's on the news."

"Why? It doesn't matter what I say. I'm just a worthless nobody," Alexa murmured, Ian taking a deep breath and gently bringing his hand up to her cheek.

Alexa winced at the touch before Ian spoke, "You're not worthless. We need your help, Alexa. We're trying to take him down and show the world what a monster he really is. If you help us, I promise you that we'll help you. You have my word."

Alexa stared into Ian's sincere eyes, nodding after a few moments of silence, the redhead lowering his hand from her face.

"You guys wanna come inside to talk? I'm afraid to be out here, honestly," Alexa confessed, Mickey's muscles stiffening in anger that she felt frightened to be in her own front yard.

"You've got absolutely nothing to worry about when you're around me," Mickey said matter-of-factly, holding his attention to the emotionally damaged girl, "You can trust us. You're safe with us."

Alexa sighed heavily, glancing at them one-by-one and seeing the sincerity in their eyes. She nodded, understanding that they weren't here to badger her, before taking a deep breath.

"Well, I'll start from the beginning then," Aexa started, the others nodding in response.

"We dated for three years. I was only nineteen when I met... _Him._ I was going to school in Boston and waiting tables at some shitty restaurant while he was professionally fighting and doing theater shit on the side. He ended up coming in to my restaurant one day and I was his server. After that, he would come in every day requesting me by name and leaving me crazy good tips even when he'd only order a coffee," she reminisced, suddenly smiling at a memory before continuing, "He was so charming."

Mandy glanced to the ground, feeling stupid for finding the fighter so charismatic, the same way he sucked Alexa into his abusive grip.

"Eventually, he asked me out on a date and the rest was history. He was the type of person that made you feel safe. Appreciated, you know? Someone who made you feel like you were the only person that mattered. He helped me overcome one of the lowest points of my life. And I helped him overcome a serious drug addiction. At one point, we truly were great together."

Mickey took a mental note of the drug addiction, though, giving Alexa his full attention. Ian and Mandy also held their gaze on her, taking in every detail of her story.

"Everything was great until the last year of our relationship. He guilted me into quitting school to move out here in LA so he could pursue his dream of acting. He wanted to be an actor so badly, desperate enough to give up the life we built together back home. My family nearly disowned me when I told them I was thinking about moving out here because they always hated Adam. They saw him for who he truly was when I was so blind," she said, taking a deep breath before continuing, "Growing up, life was tough. We had no money, barely scraping by to survive. But my family still did everything they could to help me get into school so that I'd never have to live like they did. Quitting was a big slap in the face to them."

Ian, Mickey and Mandy nodded, all knowing too well what it was like to barely scrape by to survive.

"When I realized I didn't want to leave and told Adam I wanted to stay, that was..." Alexa trailed off, swallowing hard and holding back tears.

"It's okay, Alexa. We're here for you," Ian said softly, putting a gentle hand on her arm.

Alexa took a deep breath, "That was the first time he hit me. It was an accident. Well, atleast I thought it was. Then he somehow guilted me into thinking it was my fault that he hit me. And just like that, I started to hate myself for not being good enough. If he hit me, I just wasn't good enough or else he wouldn't need to be hurting me, right? It was my fault and I allowed him to hit me. I tried giving him ultimatums, threatening to leave him. But he would just hit me harder. The picture you saw online was probably from the very last time I threatened to leave him. That was the time I started to realize it wasn't my fault and that I didn't deserve it, so I took a picture of myself as a reminder that I was worth more than being his punching bag."

Ian and both Milkoviches found themselves aching emotionally for the girl, Mickey and Mandy especially relating to the abuse of Terry while growing up. Mandy sniffled, holding back tears as past feelings began to rehash inside of her.

"When we finally broke up, I tried to get help. The night we ended things, he broke my nose and I called the police. They ended up booking him, but he was out soon after. He ended up coming back to threaten me, said he'd kill me unless I told the media I was lying since this when he first got exposed to the Hollywood scene. His manager even paid me close to ten grand to keep my mouth shut. And here we are."

Mickey gnawed on the inside of his cheek, immeditaley turning around to walk away towards his car to get a cigarette, needing to breathe for a moment after hearing such a heavy story. Mandy walked closer to Alexa, wrapping her arms around the victim and holding her close. 

"You're so fucking brave for telling us. I hope you know that," Mandy said, holding back tears, "I wish I was as brave as you."

"It feels so good to finally talk to people who care. I've been holding this in for six months now and it's been... _Horrible._ No one believed me, my family hasn't talked to me in years, I literally have no one. It really feels fucking good to tell you guys."

Mandy glanced up at Ian with sadness in her eyes, Ian wanting to kill Adam himself after hearing everything that was said.

"Do you have any proof we can use against him? Anything at all that would put a serious dent in his career?" Ian asked. 

Alexa pulled away from Mandy, widening her eyes at the redhead, "He'll come back for me. He'll kill me.."

Mickey spun around away from his car, instantly moving towards Alexa. He stared into her ocean eyes, seeing a glimpse of Mandy when she used to fear Terry. It frightened him to the core, though, angered him to the point of not being able to think straight.

"If he so much as lays a _fucking_ finger on you, I swear to God," Mickey gritted through his teeth, Ian moving closer to the brunet to place a hand on the latter's arm in an attempt to calm his raging boyfriend down.

"I really appreciate you looking out for me, Mickey. Thank you to all of you," Alexa said before wearily glancing back up at the furious brunet, "If you don't mind me asking, why are you doing this? What did he do to you guys that made you so angry?" Alexa asked, Mickey moving his piercing gaze to her house as he exhaled his smoke.

"He fucked with the wrong people, celebrity bullshit aside. Where we come from, we don't take that shit lightly," Mandy answered.

"Jesus, you sound like you're in the mafia or something," Alexa said jokingly, Ian letring out a small laugh in response.

"Does Gallagher or Milkovich sound Italian to you?" The redhead teased, Alexa letting out a sheepish laugh under her coy smile.

"Guess not," she responded, keeping her gaze to the ground and scratching her head nervously before looking back up at the readhead, "So, basically you're the kind of people I want on my side."

Mandy smirked before nodding, "Exactly."

"Adam's gonna learn real fuckin' quick that we're the type of people you don't ever wanna fuck with," Mickey responded bluntly, glancing over at the vandalism on the girl's house before shaking his head in frustration, "I'll get that shit removed for you by tomorrow."

"It's fine. They'll just.. do it again," Alexa answered with a soft sigh.

"Then I'll just have it removed again," Mickey retorted, moving his gaze back to her hopeful eyes.

"Thank you so much," Alexa whispered, her voice cracking as she spoke.

"For now, if you could maybe keep it on the low about us coming around, that would be helpful. We don't want this douchebag catching wind that we're trying to take him down," Mickey said as Alexa nodded understandingly, "Thanks. Now, do you have any of that proof Ian asked about?"

Alexa grinned half-heartedly, finding it slightly easier to open up to strangers who seemed to truly care about her well-being and taking down the monster who would forever leave her damaged, "I do. Let's go inside."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say thank you so much for reading! This is my longest story thus far which is why my updates aren't as frequent. I appreciate all of your feedback/comments that you've left along the way and love that you're loving this story. Thanks again.❤


	33. You're Going Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> You're Going Down by Sick Puppies

It had been three weeks since the fight at the club had broken out, already the week Tuesday morning before Thanksgiving on Thursday. Ian, Mickey and Mandy decided to hold onto the evidence that Alexa had given them until they felt that the time was right, Adam showing them complete radio silence over the weeks. His silence even included lack of activity on his social media accounts. The only time Adam would talk to any of them was when he had to do a scene with Mandy or Ian when filmimg or at the table reads.

The fight at the club shed a momentary negative light on both Adam and Mickey, giving the two a little bit of backlash from the fans as expected. The initial shock was the worst of it, though, only lasting a few days before their fans were back to praising them. Regardless, it stressed Mickey out as he didn't want to be known as 'that celebrity' who fought at the club. 

To add on to Mickey's stress, Ian and Mandy had been filming in New York over the course of the last week. They would be wrapping today, flying back home to LA only to then be flying out to Chicago tomorrow for Thanksgiving the next day. As much as the brunet hated being emotional, he was feeling distressed without the redhead by his side.

"Only one more scene until we wrap," Ian smiled, staring into the phone as he watched his boyfriend on the small screen.

"Thank fucking Christ. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I sorta miss Mandy almost burning down the house every other day. It's not so lonely then, you know?" Mickey admitted, Ian raising an eyebrow in response.

"And..." Ian pressed.

"And I miss having people in the house," Mickey answered.

"And..."

"Jesus. _And_ I miss you like fuckin' crazy, Gallagher," Mickey confessed, Ian smiling with utter satisfaction over his boyfriend's revelation.

"I miss you too, baby," Ian answered, Mickey immediately narrowing his eyes in response to the pet name.

"We've talked about this. Calling me-"

"Ian, you ready? We're about to shoot the scene," Mandy interrupted the Skype call, Ian sighing heavily before nodding.

"One more scene and then I'm on a plane home to you, Mick," Ian said, Mickey's pixalted smile still looking perfect.

"Can't fucking wait," Mickey murmured, "Good luck. I love you."

Mandy let out a squeal as she listened to her brother on the device, "Oh my God, you guys. You're so fucking cute."

Ian let out a laugh before glancing down at the brunet's disgusted face. 

"Maybe leave her ass behind. We need some alone time, anyway. I'm horny as fuck," Mickey admitted, Mandy immediately scrunching her face at the vulgar remark.

"Ew. See you at home, assface," Mandy said before heading towards the set on a usually busy New York City street that had been shut down for filming.

"I'll text you when we're done. And Mick?" Ian asked.

"Yeah?"

"I love you, too... _Baby,"_ Ian snickered as he watched Mickey's middle finger appear on the small screen.

Ian ended the Skype call with an exasperated sigh before walking towards the set, not wanting to film the scene. It included Adam, the very last person he and Mandy wanted to associate with. Thankfully, it would be the last scene before they had the next five days off.

"Alright. Mandy and Adam, make sure you walk out from around the corner of that building over there before the awkward run-in with Ian and April. Are we ready?" The director asked, everyone nodding in response, "Great. And... Action!"

Mandy and Adam rounded the corner of the building, Mandy wanting to knee the fighter in the groin as they held hands walking towards Ian and April.

"Dan?" Mandy's character asked, looking at him incredulously as the redhead had his arm draped around April's character.

"Lynn. I, uh, see you've made a new friend," Ian said, finding it absolutely difficult not to punch Adam in the face.

"Yeah, this is Jared. We met last month at the coffee shop on 45th street," Mandy introduced Adam's character, the fighter awkwardly waving in response.

"Yeah. I know him, actually."

"Oh... I see you're with slut - Shelby, I'm sorry. I see you're with Shebly," Mandy said, Ian grinning in response.

"Yup. Listen, we've got a movie to catch. I'll talk to you later, yeah?" 

"Okay. See you later," Mandy said, voice sounding pretend-sad.

As the scene went on, Ian found that it was getting harder and harder to hold back his anger. He wanted nothing more than to ruin Adam's career right then and there, but Mickey had a plan and Ian agreed to it with reluctance. 

Adam was supposed to have more time on set, though, production decided to put a rush on filming his scenes, paid to do so by Curtis Jackson as the fighter would begin filming Relentless with Mickey soon. Curtis agreed to push back filmimg his show until mid-January only if HBO's production company agreed to rush filming Adam's scenes so that he would be finished by then. Both companies agreed, Ian relieved that Adam would be off his set quicker than planned, though, worried that the fighter would soon be on Mickey's.

"Cut! That's a wrap, guys! Thanks for your hard work and I hope you guys enjoy the next five days off with your families. Happy Thanksgiving," the director said as everyone started to mingle and say their goodbyes, Ian practically running off set to rush to the airport.

"Ian, wait."

The redhead stopped dead in his tracks, slowly turning around to find Adam standing behind him. Ian glared at the man, Adam staring back at him with regret in his eyes.

"What do you want, Adam?" Ian muttered.

"I'm really sorry about what happened a few weeks ago. I feel terrible about it and I really didn't mean to overstep any boundaries. I shouldn't have approached you the way I did and I definitely shouldn't have fought your.. Mickey. It was childish and wrong," Adam apologized, Ian holding his gaze to the fighter.

"Bullshit."

"What?" Adam asked.

"I call bullshit. You're not sorry for shit. You enjoyed fighting with Mickey and don't even try denying that," Ian snapped, Adam clearing his throat as he stared back at the angry redhead.

"I _am_ sorry and I regret it. All of it. You're free to believe whatever you want, but I know how I feel. Have a happy Thanksgiving, Ian," Adam said before turning around and accidentally walking into Mandy who had already been standing behind him.

"You really think your weak-ass apologies are gonna work? We see you and we see through your bullshit," Mandy said, pushing through Adam to stand beside Ian. 

"Mandy, I'm sorry for fucking with your feelings. I was-"

"Fuck off," Mandy snapped, Adam nodding and continuing to walk away.

Once he was out of sight, Mandy sighed in relief and grabbed Ian's hand, "Lets get the fuck outta here before he does something stupid. You never know with him."

Ian nodded, turning to walk off the set to wait for their cab.

"You certainly don't," Ian agreed under his breath as he and Mandy left the blocked off street.

* * *

"Why can't I find my boots? It's going to be so fuckin' cold in Chicago," Mickey yelled out, Ian suddenly appearing in the doorway of their bedroom.

"You mean these?" Ian smirked, holding up a pair of black boots.

"Fuck you, is what I mean," Mickey retorted, finishing up with packing his suitcase.

"So grumpy," Ian muttered teasingly, dropping the boots and leaning against the doorway as he watched the brunet from behind.

Mickey turned around as he felt eyes on him, "The fuck are you looking at?"

"A work of art. I'm serious, Mick. Your ass is truly the eighth wonder of the world."

"There's only seven wonders, smartass," Mickey snipped, moving his attention back onto his suitcase as Ian continued to stare at the brunet's ass.

"Your ass makes it eight," Ian answered matter-of-factly, walking closer to the brunet to grab his perfect cheeks through his jeans.

"Ay, as much as I really could go for another round right now, I've gotta finish packing. Flight's in under an hour and a half," Mickey said as he swatted away the redhead's hands. 

Ian snickered before kissing the crook of his boyfriend's neck, bringing his hands back onto the brunet's ass. Mickey stopped packing, standing still as he contemplated jumping Ian's bones. When the brunet's phone went off, Mickey grumbled, time making his decision for him as he pushed the redhead back.

"Fucking A. We're gonna pick this back up when we get to your place," Mickey breathed out before finishing packing his suitcase.

"My old place," Ian corrected, "This is my place, now."

The brunet found himself smiling while he zipped up his suitcase, finally feeling happiness for a change through the bullshit that they've all been dealing with lately.

"Alright, let's go get Little Miss Bitch Face from the pool and head to LAX. I already want the next few days to be over," Mickey sighed, Ian bringing his hand under the latter's chin and pressing his lips against the brunet's.

"This weekend will be fine. _You_ will be fine," Ian assured, slapping his boyfriend's ass before turning to leave the room, "See you downstairs, baby."

"Fuckin' dick," Mickey said teasingly, watching as Ian left the room to get Mandy ready.

The brunet chuckled to himself before grabbing both of his suitcases, only needing two for their three day stay at the Gallager home. He grabbed his phone, suddenly remembering that it buzzed a few minutes ago. He furrowed his brow when he realized it was a notification alert from Adam tweeting.

**Adam Breck** @Adam_Breck • 6m  
Loving the Windy City. Shout out to you beautiful people out here with me in Chi-Town for the holiday!

Mickey balled his fist in anger, realizing that Adam was trying to keep the bullshit going after staying quiet for a few weeks. The brunet suddenly found himself calming down when he glanced over at a small backpack that sat next to his closet. He closed out Twitter, immediately walking over to the bag and grabbing it along with his suitcases. As Mickey headed down stairs with his luggage and backpack full of career-ruining evidence, he decided it was about damn time to expose this motherfucker. Adam was going down.


	34. What You Deserve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> What You Deserve by No Resolve

"Hello?"

"Alexa?" Mickey asked, holding his cell phone up to his ear as he leaned against a wall in the airport, currently standing away from Ian and Mandy.

"Speaking?" The girl asked wearily, most likely expecting it to be someone fucking with her.

"It's Mickey," the brunet said quietly, glancing up to make sure no one was listening, "I'm using a burner phone. Remember what we talked about?"

Alexa sighed in relief to be hearing Mickey's voice on the other end, "Yes. Now?"

"Now," Mickey confirmed.

"I'm scared, Mickey," Alexa admitted, voice shaking.

"Don't be. After this you're gonna be free, okay?"

Alexa took a long pause before exhaling, "Okay."

Mickey grinned, looking down at the backpack and quickly glancing up to see paparazzi off in the distance, right on schedule.

"We'll be home Sunday morning. Hang tight. That lawyer I told you about will be calling you in exactly one hour for the restraining order after this blows up," Mickey advised. 

Nonchalantly, the brunet dropped the bag on the ground before walking towards Ian and Mandy. As planned, a mysterious looking man wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses appeared from around the corner to pick up the bag, quickly opening it and pulling out a small SD card to insert into his phone.

"Thank you so much. I don't know how I'll ever be able to make this up to you guys," Alexa said, Mickey glancing over his shoulder to see the man loading the content, suddenly nodding indicating the transfer was complete. Mickey smirked, anticipating his plan to finally unfold.

"You don't owe us anything. This is the right thing to do," Mickey answered thoughtfully. 

"Ian! Where are you guys heading to?" A paparazzo asked while approaching Ian and Mandy. 

"Gotta go. Good luck," Mickey said quickly before hanging up and discretely snapping the flimsy flip phone, tossing it in the trash before heading towards the small crowd forming around his boyfriend and sister.

"Mickey, what's happenin'? You guys going somewhere good for the holiday?" The paparazzo asked.

"We are," Mickey confirmed, sitting down beside his boyfriend who was staring down at his own phone.

"Nice. Where to?"

Mickey glanced down at the redhead's phone, suddenly grinning as his plan came together before his eyes.

"Holy shit," Ian interrupted as part of the plan, gazing up at the paparazzi with wide eyes.

"What?" Another paparazzo asked. 

"There's this crazy video that was just posted..." Ian trailed off, glancing down at his phone while he waited for it to load, video coming directly from Adam's official Facebook account.

The television screens at the airport that we're all playing Fox News suddenly froze, soon showing static and distortion catching people's attention. Mickey glanced over to where the mysterious man had been standing, no longer there to the brunet's expectation.

"The fuck," Mandy muttered, playing along as everyone stared at the television screens in confusion. 

The screens suddenly changed to what looked like a home video, someone carefully hiding the camera before looking into the lense. It was Alexa. As practically everyone in the airport had their eyes glued to the screens, Mickey glanced at Ian to find the redhead shooting a nervous look back at the latter.

The video continued, everyone utterly entranced by the footage. Alexa had ran away from where she hid the camera, standing in the center of a bedroom. The door in the room suddenly flung open, Adam appearing as he angrily approached the girl.

"Is that Adam Breck?" Mandy asked, obviously knowing _exactly_ who it was.

The voices in the video were muffled, though, clearly a situation that didn't need audio in order for someone to understand what was happening by their body language. Adam suddenly punched Alexa in the face causing her to drop to the floor, everyone in the airport gasping in response as the disturbing video continued to reveal the abuse taking place. Once the video finished, the screens immediately went back to the news station, the paparazzi turning to Ian and the Milkoviches.

"Holy fuck. That was Adam, your co-star. I can't believe that. Can I get a statement from you guys on this?" The paparazzo asked. 

Normally none of them would ever respond to the media to shed light on such a disgusting situation, though, having Alexa's full permission to do so in order to take Adam down, Mickey spoke up first as planned.

"I'm honestly shocked. I'm fucking pissed. You don't hit a girl like that. Fuck," Mickey answered, not entirely acting as watching the video for a second time rehashed his anger.

"I agree. That's honestly fucked up. I hope he gets in trouble for this. That's the girl who tried to say he abused her a while back, right?" The paparazzo asked.

"Yeah, that's her. Guess we all should have listened," Ian said, running a hand through his red hair.

Security was suddenly flooding the airport, checking to make sure everything was safe and that their system's weren't being hacked in an act of terrorism. To Mickey's relief, the paparazzi all began to walk towards the security guards attempting to try and figure out what was happening and how the video played in the first place. Once they were out of sight, an announcement was made that all flights would slightly be delayed until further notice. 

Mandy leaned in closer to her brother, "Mick, did you hire fuckin' Robert Snowden or something? That was crazy. I knew what was going to happen, but I didn't actually realize how quick that would be," Mandy said quietly, Ian and Mickey leaning closer to her.

"That random guy that grabbed the bag with the SD card and Alexa's contractual hush agreement in it was some sort of... I guess I'm not sure exactly who he was. I was referred to him and his team when I contacted this other guy I know who does hacking for a living. All about who you know," Mickey vaguely explained, everyone glancing up at the police now swarming into the airport. 

"Guys, they hacked all of Adam's social media accounts to post the video. It's already on the news and I'm sure the media will be here soon along with all of LA PD," Ian said before showing Mickey and Mandy the fighter's social media accounts on his phone.

"Fucking well worth the shitload of money," Mickey answered, hearing an announcement for everyone to remain calm while the police and security searched the airport, making sure it was safe.

"Guess now we wait for it to bite him hard in the ass," Mandy said, pulling out her phone to relish in the hate that the fighter was receiving online. 

"We're all going straight to Hell," Ian teased.

"Fucker's gonna get what he deserves," the brunet said matter-of-factly before sitting back in his chair to send Alexa a vague text message, knowing she would understand what he meant, while waiting for the lockdown to conclude.

Mickey (10:54AM): Success. Happy Thanksgiving.

Alexa (10:54AM): Thx. Happy Turkey Day to all of U. :)

Mickey put his phone into his pocket before reaching to grab Ian's hand, taking the redhead by surprise of the public display of affection. Ian smiled softly before turning his gaze momentarily to the chaotic scene in the airport.

"At least our weekend isn't going to be _this_ chaotic," Ian teased, nodding to the scurrying police and security guards.

Mickey let out a humorless laugh, "This is nothin' compared to the Gallagher household. Never know what type of crazy shit's gonna happen next. It's like fuckin' bedlam over there."

"Fuck you," the redhead muttered, Mickey snickering before bringing Ian's hand up to his lips.

"Maybe later," Mickey murmured, raising an eyebrow before kissing Ian's hand as Mandy pretended to obnoxiously gag, the three of them ready for the lockdown to be over with while also anticipating Adam's fate.


	35. Can't Help Falling In Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Can't Help Falling In Love (cover) by Ingrid Michelson

_Breaking news. Television star, Adam Breck, was recently charged with a misdemeanor for several counts of domestic violence and may even be facing jail time. More to come on this story during the six o'clock news._

Mickey grinned with utter satisfaction as he watched the anchorman on the news channel reporting the story, Ian standing behind the couch in the Gallagher living room and leaning forward to kiss the brunet on the cheek.

"Fuckin' love it. Curtis kicked his ass right off our show last night and now hearing he might be facing jail time is just the icing on the cake. Best Thanksgiving ever," Mickey snickered as Ian moved to sit beside his boyfriend on the couch.

"I really hope that Alexa can finally get some peace of mind now," Ian said.

"She will," Mickey confirmed, turning his head to look into the redhead's eyes, "I'm really sorry about them cancelling your show over this shit. I'm still so fucking proud of you and I know that something great will come your way soon enough."

Ian stared into Mickey's sincere eyes, the redhead suddenly smiling softly before nodding, "I already have something great right here in front of me. That's more than enough."

Mickey chuckled, "Gallagher, you may be the corniest motherfucker I know."

"You love it," Ian teased.

"I do," Mickey confirmed, leaning in to kiss his boyfriend, though, suddenly interrupted by Fiona and Mandy in the kitchen yelling at the top of their lungs that the turkey was ready.

Liam, Carl and Debbie ran down the stairs, Debbie holding a hair training mannequin head for cosmetology class and Carl slapping it to the ground before entering the kitchen.

"What the Fuck, Carl! I need that for class!" Debbie screamed.

"That thing fucking skeeves me out. I told you to leave it in your room. That creepy doll head thing had it coming," Carl answered pointedly. 

Kev and V suddenly barged in through the front door, Kev holding Amy and Jemma's hand while V carried in two different pies.

"Told you. Bedlam," Mickey said teasingly to Ian, the redhead flipping him off in response before they both stood up from the couch.

"Mickey, my man! It's been a minute," Kev exclaimed, letting go of the little girls before bringing the brunet into a bear hug.

"Nice to see ya, Kev," Mickey answered, feeling uncomfortable by the tight embrace before Kev finally released.

"Nice to see you, V," Mickey said sheepishly, remembering their last run-in going poorly.

"You're not in my good graces yet, Milkovich," V retorted, striding by him and heading into the kitchen to help Fiona.

"Don't mind her. She's pretty hormonal lately with the whole pregnancy thing," Kev said as he glanced over at his daughters who ran towards Ian.

"Pregnancy?" Ian asked, greeting each little girl with a hug as Kev grinned from ear-to-ear.

"Yup! Baby number three! Well, technically four, but..." Kev trailed off, Mickey widening his eyes in response before turning to Ian and mouthing 'Goddamn'.

"Dinner's ready, guys! Lip said he's gonna be a few minutes late and to start without him," Fiona said as she appeared in the doorway wearing a turkey hat on top of her head. 

"Alright. We'll be right in," Ian answered, Fiona nodding and heading back into the kitchen, Kev following close behind.

Mickey glanced down at the two beautiful little girls who were both cautiously staring up at him.

"Ian, who is that?" Amy asked, both little girls suddenly hiding behind Ian and peeping at the brunet.

"That's Mickey. He's my boyfriend," Ian introduced, the brunet instantly crouching down to their level and smiling at the two little girls. 

"Hi, Mickey. Are you like the mouse? I have a Mickey Mouse backpack at home," Amy said, suddenly feeling more comfortable in the brunet's presence.

Mickey let out a small laugh, "Nope, not like the mouse."

Amy giggled and immediately ran towards Mickey, hugging him as the brunet reciprocated the embrace. Ian found himself falling even harder in love with his boyfriend, never in a million years imagining Mickey Milkovich would be good with kids. He was so proud of the brunet for coming so far from how he used to be; a closted, hard-ass, Southside thug who had truly blossomed into a beautiful person, inside and out.

"I wanna sit next to Mickey! He's my new best friend," Amy said, grabbing Mickey's hand to lead him into the kitchen.

"What! I thought I was your best friend?" Ian asked, pretending to be offended.

"Sorry, Ian. We can be best friends again tomorrow," Amy offered, Ian no longer able to keep a straight face and letting out laughter.

"Well Ian's _my_ best friend. I'm sitting next to him," Jemma said, sticking her tongue out at Amy.

"Guys! Dinner's - Oh my God, Mickey. That is the cutest thing I've ever seen!" Mandy exclaimed, gawking at her brother holding Amy's hand.

"Shut your fuckin' mouth," Mickey muttered under his breath before passing by Mandy, Amy leading the way into the kitchen and everyone immediately letting out an obnoxious 'Aww' in unison at the sight.

Jemma suddenly released her grip from the redhead and ran passed Ian and Mandy into the kitchen after her sister, Mandy chuckling and moving closer to Ian.

"Shocking as hell to see Mick being so good with her," Mandy observed, watching her brother laughing and smiling at the little while she talked his ear off.

"He's perfect," Ian said softly, keeping his eyes locked onto the brunet.

"I'm really glad that you two found your way back into eachother's lives. The only time he's ever truly happy is when he's with you," Mandy confessed, turning her gaze back to a smiling Ian.

"He _is_ my happiness, Mands. I'm glad you both are back in my life," Ian admitted, Mandy taking a deep breath before fanning her eyes.

"Okay, enough of this. I'm on my period and I'm super emotional right now. Fuck," Mandy muttered, Ian chuckling in response. 

"You gonna make it?" Ian teased, Mandy letting out a sniffle as she flipped him off in response. 

Ian chuckled before wrapping his arm around the emotional brunette, "Let's go eat."

As they started to walk towards the kitchen, the front door opened, Lip stepping inside and stopping to stare at Mandy.

"Hey," Lip said, Mandy stopping to stare back at him.

"Hey," she answered, Ian watching as a small smile crept up on the brunette's lips. 

Ian shook his head in amusement, wondering what kind of sick spell his brother held over Mandy. As they all walked into the kitchen, Ian felt thankful. This would be the very first Thanksgiving that he truly felt complete, having everything he could ever ask for with him in that jam-packed kitchen. He may be out of a job for the moment, but the redhead learned over the last few months that life works in mysterious and crazy ways. Ian was more than thankful for his life and everyone in it, for once, finding it easier to feel optimistic and hopeful for the future.

* * *

Ian laid down on his old bed, currently in a food coma, while wrapped in Mickey's arms. He groaned as he turned on his side to face the brunet who was close to falling asleep.

"Dinner wasn't so bad," Ian commented, Mickey opening his eyes slowly as he, too, was suffering from a food coma.

"I need to tell you something that I can't hide anymore," Mickey answered, Ian instantly furrowing his brow and letting his anxiety take over. 

Mickey sensed his boyfriend's distress and immediately moved his hand to cup the redhead's face, "Calm down. It's nothing bad."

Ian narrowed his eyes, "Jesus. Usually when you tell someone that you need to tell them something, it's never good."

Mickey let out a dry laugh, "So dramatic."

"So what is it, then?" Ian asked, Mickey letting out a yawn before answering.

"I might just be the best boyfriend ever -"

"You got me all worked up only to point out the obvious?" Ian asked pointedly.

"Fucking - Would you let me finish?" Mickey retorted, Ian sighing before nodding, "Christ. You're wound up tighter than a nun's vagina all of a sudden."

"You were saying," Ian pressed, ignoring his boyfriend's remark.

"I was _saying_ that I may be the best boyfriend ever for landing you an audition that you'll more than likely get the part for since I have a lot of pull."

Ian's eyes suddenly lit up, "Holy fuck, Mick! What is it for?"

"Relentless. You'd be replacing Adam. Last night, when Curtis called to tell me he kicked that douchebag off, he asked me if I knew of anyone who would fit the part. I suggested you and he loved the idea. Said he wants you to fly out to Detroit next week to have you audition. So... What do you think?"

Ian stared silently into Mickey's eyes, not able to find the words that described how he felt. The only word that came to mind in this moment was love. He was irrevocably in love with Mickey, immediately pressing his lips against the latter's. The brunet reciprocated the kiss, gently pulling away after a moment.

"I'll take that as a yes?" Mickey chuckled, Ian nodding in response. "So am I the best fuckin' boyfriend in the world or what?"

Ian let out a soft laugh before nodding once more, "I'm so thankful for you, Mick."

Ian leaned in to steal another kiss, Mickey suddenly pulling away and smirking, "You realize this means that I'd be trying to fake-kill you the entire time for being a complete psychopath in the show, right?"

Ian snickered before rolling on top of the brunet, "Bring it, bitch."

Mickey sat up as Ian straddled him, pushing the redhead onto his back before leaning over to kiss his boyfriend. Ian was certain that he could kiss Mickey forver, having every intention of doing so, or at least until everyone was ready for dessert.


	36. Him & I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Him & I by G-Eazy and Halsey

_One year later..._

 

"Mandy! Motherfucking fuck!" Mickey yelled at the top of his lungs from his bedroom, smelling the notorious scent of something burning in the kitchen yet again.

The fire alarm went off, suddenly hearing Mandy scurrying around the kitchen to fan the smoke out. Mickey rolled his eyes, looking in the mirror as he popped his collar in preparation of putting on his tie. He glanced up to see Ian entering the bedroom in only a towel wrapped around his waist, the brunet locking his eyes onto the delicious visual.

"Mandy trying to cook again?" Ian asked, Mickey sighing in response. "I've told her so many times to take that damn cooking class."

"Been telling her that for years."

"You look dashing," Ian complimented, kissing his boyfriend before walking towards the bed where his suit was spread out.

Ian dropped his towel, starting to put on his clothes as Mickey peeked at him through the mirror, his mouth instantly watering.

"Don't even think about it," Ian said sternly, standing in his boxer briefs and furrowing his brow at the suit laid out on the bed, "Black on black... You don't think I'll look like I'm going to a funeral?"

"I think you look better with it off," Mickey murmured, turning around to move closer to his boyfriend. 

Ian raised an eyebrow, "Mick, we need to get going or else we're gonna be-"

The redhead was interrupted by his boyfriend's lips pressed against his own.

"Late," Ian finished his sentence, breathing into the kiss.

"How 'bout we stay here instead," Mickey offered through soft kisses, sliding his hands down Ian's back until he reached the redhead's ass.

Ian immediately pulled away, "Nope. Our show was nominated and _you_ were nominated. We're going," Ian answered, Mickey glancing down at his boyfriend's very visible hard-on through his boxer briefs and smiling smugly. 

"I'll take care of that later," Mickey promised, holding his smirk before turning back to the mirror to fix his tie.

Once the two were dressed, they headed down the stairs to find Mandy pouting and leaning against the kitchen island.

"The fuck're you frowning for?" Mickey asked, glancing over at the stove to see the pan she used to cook God only knows what was still smoking.

"Lip just texted to say his flight got delayed," Mandy whined, her brother rolling his eyes in response.

Ian placed his hand on her arm, "Don't worry, Mands. He'll be here."

Mandy nodded, mustering up a smile, Ian smiling back at his best friend.

"You two gonna stare into eachother's eyes all night or are we going? Limo's here," Mickey said, looking out the window to see the limousine parked outside.

"I seriously can't believe we're going to the Golden fucking Globes," Ian said in astoundment, Mickey grinning before kissing his boyfriend on the cheek.

"You nervous?" The brunet asked.

"You're really going to ask if _I'm_ nervous? I should be asking you, Mr. Nominated for Eighty Billion Awards," Ian retorted.

"Aren't you guys gonna ask if I'm nervous?" Mandy interjected, Mickey turning around to face her. 

"The fuck are you nervous for? Making sure your eyebrows are, what ridiculous shit did you say yesterday, on fleek?" Mickey retorted, Ian instantly letting out a throaty laugh.

"Did Mickey Milkovich just say on fleek?" Ian chuckled.

"Shut the fuck up is what I said," Mickey snapped.

"Just checking," the redhead responded through a giggle.

The three of them walked out of the house and over to the limousine that was taking them to the Golden Globes, Ian still in shock that he was finally going to such a glamorous event. This was his life now. As much as he never would have thought in a million years that he'd be where he is right now, he was thankful that fate brought him back to Mickey. That was all he needed.

* * *

Ian, Mickey and Mandy were seated at a table along with Curtis and Jeff, another cast mate of Relentless. Ian gazed around the room, taking in his surroundings and _still_ in complete awe. The fact that he was chilling nonchalantly in the same room as so many talented actors and actresses continued to thrill him the way it did over a year ago.

"Here we go. Keep your fingers crossed," Curtis whispered as Jennifer Lawrence read off the nominees for Best Television Series - Drama.

"And the winner is," Jennifer said, pausing to look down at the piece of paper with the winner printed on it, "Relentless!"

Curtis, Mickey and Jeff stood up, Ian remaining still and staring at the stage in shock with his mouth agape at the unexpected win that felt utterly surreal.

"Ian," Mickey whispered, nudging his boyfriend as the audience clapped and cheered in the background.

Ian snapped out of it, standing up and following the three men up on stage to accept the award. Once they were on stage, Curtis gave a small speech and Ian felt like he was dreaming. That was the only explanation he had for how he was standing there with these people, accepting an award for the best drama television series.

After the speech ended, they went back to their table, though, Mickey headed right back up on stage to accept his second award of the night. This award was for Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama, for Relentless.

As Mickey accepted his award, he smiled softly and stared out into the crowd before speaking.

"As I accept this award tonight, which is insane by the way, I can't help but feel truly lucky. For those of you who know anything about me, my life sucked growing up, to say the absolute least. I had Mandy by my side _most_ of the time, when I wasn't being a jerk. But I mainly had Ian's love and support, helping me grow as an individual. He taught me how to love myself, something I never thought to be possible. I owe him all the thank-yous in the world because if it wasn't for him, I would probably be dead in the streets somewhere. So thank you, Ian. And thank you to everyone who showed me nothing but love and support!"

Mickey got off stage, the audience still clapping for him as he made his way back to the table. 

"Mickey, you're fucking adorable. You made me cry like a little bitch," Mandy sniffled, wiping tears from her eyes.

"You're so dramatic," Mickey retorted with a chuckle, turning to Ian who had also been tearing up, "Shit. Not you, too!"

"I'm just really happy to be with you, Mick. Thank you for taking another chance on me," Ian answered, Mickey staring back at the redhead with sincerity in his eyes. 

"I'd do anything for you, Gallagher. I'm happy that you're happy."

The redhead nodded knowingly, leaning forward to kiss his lover tenderly before sitting back into his seat to watch the rest of the Golden Globes. Ian was certain of very few things in life, but he was positive that his love for Mickey was a once in a lifetime thing, a love like no other. And as long as he had Mickey by his side, they would make it through anything and everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This concludes the story! I want to thank you all for the amazing feedback and love I've received for this. You guys are the best and I appreciate all of you! Thank you for reading❤


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